If you and your family don’t pay for prescriptions you will be able to use the NHS Minor Ailments service to get advice and medicines free of charge!.
The NHS Minor Ailments service is available at pharmacies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and selected stores in England and Wales so check locally with your pharmacist for availability.
This service is being promoted through Boots so one of there pharmacists is available to give you advice and help you may need to manage these and other common ailments.
so what exactly is this new service?
If you don’t pay for prescriptions you may be able to receive advice and be given a medicine for a range of minor ailments, free of charge, on the NHS, without having to visit your doctor first. Minor ailments could include coughs, colds, headaches, hay fever, insect bites and stings, eczema, earache and diarrhoea.
Which ailments will be commonly treated?
I would recommend that you speak to your Boots pharmacist who can advise you and determine if the Minor Ailments service could be suitable for you and your family.
Because this is an NHS service which is only available in selected Boots stores, not every store will be able to treat the same list of minor ailments. However examples of ailments which are commonly treated include:
| Back ache, sprains and strains | Haemorrhoids | Minor fungal infections of the skin |
|---|---|---|
| Colds | Hay fever | Mouth ulcers |
| Conjunctivitis | Head lice | Nappy rash |
| Constipation | Headache and fever | Sore throat |
| Coughs | Heartburn and indigestion | Teething |
| Diarrhoea | Insect bites and stings | Threadworm |
| Earache | Mild eczema and dermatitis | Thrush |