New polling finds community pharmacies were the most easily accessible healthcare locations last winter.

New YouGov polling for Community Pharmacy England has found that last winter, community pharmacies were the most accessible healthcare location for members of the public, when they were asked how easy or difficult it was to access various NHS services.

Of those who tried to access specific healthcare services, over half (58%) said they found it easy to access community pharmacy, compared with 39% who found it easy to access general practice, 37% dentists, 22% non-urgent hospital services, and 18% A&E.

Just 5% of people surveyed by YouGov said they found community pharmacies difficult to
access, compared with 37% who struggled to access general practice, 29% dentists, 22% nonurgent hospital services, and 18% A&E.

Of the people who said they found it difficult to access the following healthcare providers, 50% of those who struggled to access General Practice said this had a negative impact on their medical condition at that time. For those struggling to access A&E or non-urgent hospital services, 37% said it had a negative impact on their medical condition, and for those struggling to access a dentist, 46% said it had a negative impact.

Experts have called on Government to protect and make better use of the network of community pharmacies to avoid another winter health crisis. Last winter saw many parts of the NHS once again overwhelmed, with over 15 hospitals in England declaring critical incidents¹, as the rise in flu admissions led to exceptionally high demands for emergency hospital services.

Lung diseases are the leading driver of emergency admissions and winter pressures within our NHS, and breathing issues are responsible for 1 in 8 emergency admissions in England², higher than heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions and cancer.

Community Pharmacy England and the Taskforce for Lung Health have today backed a greater role for pharmacies in supporting lung health – this could help improve health outcomes and prevent another winter health crisis. The new YouGov polling has revealed four out of five (84- 87%) people across England would support increasing the range of respiratory health services offered by pharmacies, including more help with coughs and colds (85%), assessments and support for people with asthma (85%), and preventative measures such as a wider range of vaccinations (85%) and stop smoking services with needing a referral (84%).

Community pharmacies also had wider support from the public with two-thirds (65%) saying they were important to them, and over three-quarters (77%) said they would be concerned if their local community pharmacy were to close.

The results came ahead of an event on lung health hosted by the Chair of the APPG for Respiratory Health and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, Liz Twist MP.

Alastair Buxton, Director of NHS Services at Community Pharmacy England, said:

“Pharmacies play a vital role in our local communities, supporting millions of people with their health and wellbeing every day. They work relentlessly to help their patients, including those with lung conditions, despite being themselves under huge pressures. By empowering and investing in pharmacies to offer a fuller range of respiratory healthcare services, they could provide the lifeline that our creaking health system needs. We should be investing in pharmacies to make better use of their clinical skills to provide a variety of prevention and public health services, such as those to support and manage respiratory health issues. This would help patients and the wider NHS. Community pharmacy has so much to offer if it can be put on a sustainable footing, so it is in all our interests to do all we can to protect and empower them.”

Henry Gregg, Chair of the Taskforce for Lung Health, said:

“Community pharmacies are at the heart of NHS primary care services, providing essential services. This new polling shows the strength of public support for community pharmacies to provide more annual reviews and vaccinations for people living with lung conditions. Last winter was the busiest year on record for emergency services, with more than 15 hospitals across England declaring critical incidents. Lung disease is the leading driver of emergency admissions and winter pressures within the NHS. By expanding the use of community pharmacies, the government can reduce the number of respiratory emergency admissions and prevent another winter NHS crisis, but they must act now.”

Will Pett, Head of Policy, Public Affairs and Research and Insight, Healthwatch England, said:

“Community pharmacies are widely used, with people valuing how easy pharmacies are to access and how quickly they can be seen by teams. We know that people support the expansion of services in pharmacies, which could benefit people with long term health conditions and those living in deprived areas. But we also know that issues facing the pharmacy sector, including closures, workforce shortages, and medicine
shortages can affect the delivery of services which can damage people’s confidence in pharmacies. To maintain and expand vital community pharmacy services, we’re calling for the government to focus on staff recruitment and raising awareness among the public of available support that teams can deliver. We also look forward to working with government partners to address the issue of medication shortages.”

References:
1. NHS trusts declare critical incidents due to ‘exceptionally high demands’ in A&E (The Guardian, 7th January 2025)

2. Breathing issues are the leading cause of all emergency admissions (Asthma + Lung UK, 11th November 2024)