Everyone’s been there—you wake up with a bit of a niggle or a cough that won’t quit, and your first instinct is to jump on the phone at 8 a.m. to battle for a GP slot.
It’s easy to feel like you’re being responsible by getting it checked out, but the reality is that a lot of the stuff we’re worried about is just the body doing its thing. GPs are seeing more people than ever, and they’ll be the first to tell you that a massive chunk of their day is taken up by things that would’ve cleared up on their own with a bit of rest or a quick trip to the chemist. It’s not that your symptoms aren’t real, it’s just that for these specific complaints, the waiting room of your local GP surgery is probably the last place you actually need to be.
The common cold
There’s no prescription that makes a cold go away faster, and the NHS is very clear on this. Colds are caused by viruses, which means antibiotics won’t touch them, and GPs are advised not to prescribe them for this reason. The advice is to rest, keep your fluids up, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to manage any aches or fever. Most colds clear up within one to two weeks on their own. Your pharmacist can point you towards over-the-counter remedies that help with congestion and discomfort while you wait it out.
A sore throat
Most sore throats are also viral and tend to resolve themselves within a week. Gargling with warm salty water can ease the pain, and standard painkillers or medicated lozenges from the chemist do a reasonable job of getting you through the worst of it. Sore throat is actually one of the seven conditions covered by the NHS Pharmacy First scheme, which launched in January 2024. This means your local pharmacist can assess you and, if appropriate, supply prescription-strength treatment without you ever needing to see a GP.
Earache
Earache is another condition on the Pharmacy First list, which many people still don’t know about. Pharmacists can now assess and treat ear infections directly, including prescribing antibiotics if they think they’re needed, without you having to secure a GP slot. Mild earache can also be eased at home with over-the-counter painkillers while you wait to be seen. It’s worth knowing that earache in adults is often caused by a simple infection that clears up quickly with the right treatment.
Sinusitis
That heavy, pressured feeling behind your eyes and across your forehead is usually sinusitis, and it’s incredibly common, especially after a cold. Pharmacy First covers sinusitis in anyone aged 12 and over, so a pharmacist can consult with you and prescribe if necessary. Plenty of fluids, steam inhalation, and nasal saline rinses can also help in milder cases. Most bouts of sinusitis clear within two to three weeks without medical intervention.
Hay fever
Around one in five people in the UK has hay fever, and it’s now one of the conditions the NHS actively steers away from GP prescriptions. Antihistamines, steroid nasal sprays, and eye drops are all readily available over the counter from supermarkets and pharmacies, and pharmacists are qualified to help you find the right combination for your symptoms. Several NHS areas have already stopped funding GP prescriptions for hay fever medication, specifically because effective treatments are so accessible without one. If your symptoms aren’t responding to anything you’ve tried, that’s when it’s worth flagging to a GP.
Back pain
Back pain accounts for a huge number of GP visits in the UK, but for most straightforward cases it doesn’t require a doctor’s appointment. NHS guidance suggests staying as active as you reasonably can rather than resting completely, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can help manage the discomfort. Keeping moving gently tends to support recovery better than bed rest in most cases. You can also self-refer to NHS physiotherapy in many parts of England without needing a GP to refer you first, which is a route a lot of people don’t realise is available to them.
Headaches
Headaches are among the most common reasons people book a GP appointment, and in the majority of cases they respond well to over-the-counter painkillers, hydration, and rest. Tension headaches in particular are very well managed without medical intervention. The NHS advises seeing a GP if headaches are frequent, very severe, or accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbance or weakness, but the ordinary kind that arrives after a stressful day or a poor night’s sleep generally doesn’t need more than paracetamol and a glass of water.
Conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis, the red, sticky-eyed condition that spreads through households quickly, often clears up on its own within ten days without any treatment at all. Bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated with chloramphenicol eye drops, which are available directly from a pharmacy without a prescription. Most pharmacists can assess whether the infection is bacterial or more likely viral, and advise accordingly. Keeping the eyes clean and avoiding sharing towels or pillowcases helps stop it passing to other people in the house.
Threadworms
Threadworms are an absolute staple of primary school life and while they’re unpleasant, they’re very straightforward to treat. The NHS is explicit that you don’t need to visit a GP for threadworms. Treatment is a chewable tablet or liquid available from a pharmacy, and the whole household needs to take it even if nobody else has symptoms. Thorough hygiene measures alongside the medication, such as washing bedding and towels and keeping nails short, help clear the infection and reduce the chance of it coming back.
Indigestion and heartburn
Occasional indigestion and heartburn are two more conditions that sit firmly in pharmacy territory. Antacids and medications like omeprazole are available over the counter and work well for most people with mild, infrequent symptoms. Eating more slowly, avoiding large meals close to bedtime, and cutting back on fatty or spicy food often makes a noticeable difference too. You’d want to see a GP if symptoms are persistent, getting worse, or if you’re also losing weight or having trouble swallowing, but for the occasional bout it’s a pharmacy job.
Uncomplicated UTIs in women
Urinary tract infections in women are painful and disruptive, and they’ve traditionally meant a trip to the GP for a prescription. Since January 2024, that’s no longer necessary. Pharmacy First covers uncomplicated UTIs in women under 65, meaning a pharmacist can assess symptoms and prescribe antibiotics where needed. Drinking plenty of water helps flush the infection out, and over-the-counter pain relief can take the edge off in the meantime. It’s worth heading to the pharmacist quickly rather than leaving it, as UTIs can sometimes spread to the kidneys if left untreated.
Impetigo and infected insect bites
Source: Unsplash Both impetigo, which is a bacterial skin infection causing blistering and crusting around the nose and mouth, and infected insect bites are also covered under Pharmacy First. These are exactly the kinds of things that used to mean waiting several days for a GP slot, by which point the infection had often got worse. Now a pharmacist can assess them and supply antibiotic treatment on the same day. It’s a much faster route to getting sorted, and one that frees up GP appointments for people who genuinely need them.
