AN innovative pharmacy service in Cornwall that helps to reduce pressure on the local GP has now seen more than 38,000 patients since its launch three years ago.

Community Pharmacy Cornwall offers patients self-referral access to consultations with clinicians in their local community pharmacy.

The NHS and Community Pharmacy teams in Cornwall started the service in January 2021 across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

These consultations take place without the need for an appointment or referral from 111 of the local GP and take place with the pharmacist in a consultation room and receive NHS treatment if appropriate. A record of the service is then electronically sent to the patient’s GP for completeness.

Of the over 38,000 patient consultations that have taken place, 80 per cent of those patients received advice or treatment closing off those consultations before leaving the Pharmacy.

Pharmacists are well placed to treat minor ailments as well as recognising when people need more urgent treatment and arrange for them to be seen by the most appropriate practitioner for the consultation, 15% required non urgent referral to a GP and only five per cent required urgent escalation to another part of the healthcare system.

Thirty thousand GP interactions have been avoided allowing our colleagues in General Practice to focus on more complex medical support as a direct result of this service.

More than 500 inappropriate trips to A&E were also avoided because of this service being offered in Cornwall.

Service is valuable to local people and visitors, with almost one in four (23.2%) consultations throughout the service being to people registered with a GP outside Cornwall, providing access to advice and treatment where a visitor might otherwise need to seek to see a local GP as a temporary resident.

The service continues to grow year on year at an increase of 6,000 consultations per year since its inception.

There were 6,119 consultations in 2022, 12,138 consultations in 2023 (+98%) and 19,567 consultations in 2024 (+61%).

Community Pharmacy is a key NHS provider within the wider healthcare landscape of Cornwall and has proven time and again that its system role is crucial to the longer-term ambitions of patients accessing care at a place of their choosing within their local community.

Dr Hugh Savage, the chair of Kernow Local Medical Committee, which represents general practice in Cornwall, said: "The walk in consultation service demonstrates the positive impact of local health partners working collaboratively to benefit patients.

"The service supports general practice by offering screening and advice in the community for minor conditions that could take up valuable time at GP surgeries, thereby increasing opportunities for doctors to treat and care for higher acuity and urgent conditions.”

In recent years, as a direct result of the reduced funding settlement nationally, Cornwall has seen 15 per cent of its community pharmacies close their doors and the continued underfunding of the sector threatens more of the same if something is not urgently done.

Patients bringing in prescriptions to be filled in many cases will see the Pharmacy owners pay from their own pocket to supply the often lifesaving medication a patient needs.

Nick Kaye, the CEO of Community Pharmacy Cornwall, said: “Community Pharmacies in Cornwall have led the way with our England first walk in service, in fact the success of this service has led to further national service being commissioned in Pharmacy First.

“Community Pharmacy teams across Cornwall should feel proud of their hard work and commitment to patient care. We know that times are extremely hard for Pharmacy teams right now and patients will have their own frustrations with the lack of investment in the sector nationally and that needs to urgently be rectified, locally however we thank our health system partners for the support of this brilliant local service.”

Noah Law, the MP for St Austell & Newquay, added: “I'd like to congratulate Community Pharmacy Cornwall on this important landmark in their innovative work that supports our nationwide journey towards more place-based healthcare.

“I have called on our government to ensure best support possible for the operating model of community pharmacy, of which I know it recognises the important role in communities like St Austell, Newquay, and the Clay Country.”