{"id":434158,"date":"2026-02-19T12:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T12:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434158\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T12:54:10","slug":"nhs-rule-lets-people-with-seven-conditions-skip-queue-for-gp-full-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434158\/","title":{"rendered":"NHS rule lets people with seven conditions skip queue for GP – full list"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Hilary Jones has explained the system as half of people say they were unawareNeil Shaw<\/a> Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)<\/p>\n

07:30, 19 Feb 2026<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A busy waiting room at a GP surgery<\/p>\n

Anyone having difficulty getting a GP appointment could jump the line if they have one of seven conditions, according to TV GP Dr Hilary Jones. GPs are now overloaded with 77% saying minor injuries and ailments put unnecessary pressure on surgeries.<\/p>\n

87% of family doctors said this winter has been busier than usual and a third spend an hour each day dealing with conditions that could be treated by the NHS<\/a> \u2019s Pharmacy First scheme, according to the poll by Asda<\/a> Pharmacy.<\/p>\n

The initiative allows pharmacists to issue prescription medicines for seven common illnesses without a doctor\u2019s appointment. But despite running since 2024, 49% of adults have not heard of Pharmacy First, while half do not know what conditions it covers. TV GP Dr Hilary Jones is urging people to rethink where they go when everyday illness strikes.<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Dr Hilary Jones<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a GP with my patients\u2019 interests at heart, I\u2019m passionate about telling them that there is a faster and more effective way to have many of their commonest medical conditions treated, without the delay and frustration of having to fight for unnecessary GP appointments.\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Asda Pharmacy has launched ISSUE IS, an awareness campaign designed to help families understand what conditions can be treated at a pharmacy. ISSUE IS is a simple, memorable acronym covering common conditions pharmacists can treat.<\/p>\n

These are: I \u2013 Infected insect bites, S \u2013 Sore throats, S \u2013 Sinusitis, U \u2013 Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections, E \u2013 Earache, I \u2013 Impetigo, and S \u2013 Shingles.<\/p>\n

\"You<\/p>\n

You need to remember ISSUE IS<\/p>\n

Dr Hilary said: \u201cAsda\u2018s Pharmacy First approach means huge numbers of people can easily obtain the treatment they need for a host of ailments from highly trained pharmacists without the need for a doctor\u2018s prescription. The ISSUE IS acronym will go a long way to resolve so many unpleasant symptoms with a minimum of fuss and delay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Research found that 58% of Brits delayed seeking treatment after being unable to get an appointment at the GP, while 32% reported long waiting times. One in seven had resorted to visiting urgent care or A&E for minor symptoms.<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Dr Hilary Jones is backing the new campaign<\/p>\n

Faisal Tuddy, Asda\u2019s Head of Pharmacy, said: \u201cWhen someone in the family feels unwell, knowing what to do next can feel like another decision in an already busy day. That mental load often leads people to default to the GP, even when faster, simpler care is available closer to home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith more than 230 Asda Pharmacies across the UK, ISSUE IS gives customers a memorable way to recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice, making it easier to see a pharmacist quickly, get treated sooner, and ease unnecessary pressure on GP surgeries.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information about Pharmacy First and to find your nearest participating Asda Pharmacy, visit this page<\/a> or speak to a trained pharmacist in store.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dr Hilary Jones has explained the system as half of people say they were unawareNeil Shaw Assistant Editor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":434159,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[15549,59,102,104,8083,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-434158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-dr-hilary-jones","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-nhs","tag-prescriptions","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=434158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/434158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/434159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=434158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=434158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=434158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}