Health & NHS news

England's shrinking pharmacy estate dispenses record high items

Prescription items topped 1.16 billion in 2024-25, says NHSBSA

16 Oct 2025 , 1 Min Article

NHS England indicates it would welcome a walk-in Pharmacy First service

Referral-based model was 'never an endpoint' says NHSE pharmacy director

13 Oct 2025 , 1 Min Article

Flu and Covid on the rise

Flu and Covid-19 cases are increasing across England, according to the latest UKHSA surveillance report.

10 Oct 2025 , 1 Min Article

Vaccinations,

‘Major issue’: Pharmacies inundated with vaccine bookings from ineligible patients

Patients aged under 75 still think they can book NHS Covid jabs, CPE warns.

06 Oct 2025 , 1 Min Article

Vaccinations,

'Many' GPs gave flu jabs before October start date, Avicenna conference hears

'Everyone is aware of it' says Day Lewis director of early flu jab allegations

03 Oct 2025 , 1 Min Article

Clinical services,

99pc of pharmacies in Wales now able to treat UTIs

Welsh Government announces 99 per cent of pharmacies able to treat UTIs as part of CAS from October.

30 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Digital & technology,

PAGB launches digital self-care report at Labour Party conference in Liverpool

The Proprietary Association of Great Britain said it wants “the self-care offer” to be supported “within the NHS app”.

29 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Pregnancy & baby care,

Health bodies rubbish Trump’s paracetamol and autism claims

Huge media effort underway to reassure pregnant women over alarmist comments from President.

23 Sep 2025 , 2 Min Article

Policy,

Government launches consultation on dispensing flexibilities for pharmacists

The proposal is to give pharmacists the power to supply a different strength, formulation or quantity of a prescription medicine when it is unavailable.

18 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Medicines,

Number of antidepressant items prescribed increased by 300,000 between March and June

The NHS Business Services Authority said 23,400,000 items were prescribed to 7,030,000 patients in the first financial quarter of 2025-26.

16 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Public health,

Out of date laws leave patients waiting three weeks for medicines, warns NPA

A survey of 400 NPA members revealed patients’ health is being jeopardised by delays to drugs supply and inadequacies of The Medicines Act 1968.

16 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Public health,

Figures show 16.5 million items for dependency-forming drugs prescribed in Q.1

The NHS Business Services Authority said 4.37 million patients in England were prescribed the medicines between April and June 2025.

15 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Financial Management & Funding,

I wish pharmacy had more resources when funding was cut, says former health secretary

Jeremy Hunt displayed regret about the Conservative Government’s decision to slash pharmacy funding in December 2015.

12 Sep 2025 , 1 Min Article

Digital & technology,

Patients in UK put pharmacists before AI, says report

Despite the major Government push to digitise healthcare and integrate artificial intelligence into NHS services, UK patients are showing strong resistance to AI consultations and instead placing growing trust in community pharmacists, according to the latest STADA Health Report.

04 Sep 2025 , 4 Min Article