NHS North West London community update 29 February 2024

Remember there is cost of living support available

We know many of our residents are still struggling with the cost of living. It’s important to remember there is support available. This can include schemes and discounts to help individuals and their families, and those who are disabled or are Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI).

Our cost of living pages act as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information about these schemes, as well as local support and advice about the cost of living.

The pages now include information about the NHS Healthy Start Scheme. It is designed to help support parents with the costs of buying milk, fruit, vegetables and instant formula, along with other selected items. It is open to those over 10 weeks pregnant, as well as parents with children under the age of four, who meet an eligibility criterion.

Access our pages here

Pharmacy First: NHS advice, diagnosis and treatment on your local high street

Pharmacies across North West London (NW London) can now provide treatment for common health conditions, with no GP appointment or prescription needed.

Highly trained pharmacists can assess and treat patients for seven common health conditions: sinusitis; sore throat; earache; infected insect bite; impetigo; shingles; and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women, without the need for a GP appointment or prescription.

This major expansion of pharmacy services gives residents more choice when it comes to where and how they access care, while also freeing up millions of GP appointments each year. In NW London 95% of pharmacies will offer these additional services.

Community pharmacies already play a vital role in keeping local communities healthy, helping with minor health concerns such as coughs, colds and infections, offering blood pressure checks, providing support with medication management and administering certain vaccinations.

Seema Buckley, Chief Pharmacist and Director of Medicines Optimisation and Pharmacy at NHS NW London said:

“Expanding these services provided by the high street pharmacy is a vital step in making health services more accessible for our communities, giving people more choice of when and where they get the help they need. Community pharmacists play a major role in frontline healthcare, and this expansion will alleviate the pressure at your doctor’s surgery and reduce waiting times for patients.”

The expansion of services available via pharmacies is part of the NHS’ primary care access recovery plan, which is committed to making it quicker and easier for millions of people to access healthcare on their high street.

You can find your local pharmacy using 'find a pharmacy'.

Improving same day access to primary care

An ambitious plan to improve same day access to primary care for patients is being introduced by NHS NW London.

The plan involves the use of same day access hubs to triage patients who contact their general practice. These hubs will include senior GPs and a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and non-clinical staff drawn from practices in the area. They will assess patients’ needs and refer them to the best service for them. This may be an urgent or routine appointment with their GP, an appointment with a community pharmacist or other clinician or guidance on how best to treat their condition.

Where appointments at a patient’s own practice are not available, they may be referred to another practice so that they can be seen the same day. Same day access hubs will be delivered by local primary care networks in each area. They may be physically co-located or virtual services.

Find out more

Eating well with diabetes

Diabetes UK are holding an online event for people affected by and living with type 2 diabetes. Healthcare professionals may also attend.

It takes place at 2pm - 3.30pm on Monday 11 March 2024 via Zoom.

Register your attendance here.