Extended Care Services
Updated 09/05/2024
**As from 31/03/2024 following the launch of Pharmacy First Nationally, the regional Extended Care Services have been discontinued. The LPC are working with the system to see if anything can be commissioned for those elements of the Extended Care Scheme that have not been replaced by Pharmacy First. We will update contractors via the newsletter if there are any developments in this area.**
Aims of the Community Pharmacy Extended Care Service scheme
- Educate patients to seek advice and treatment from the most appropriate healthcare setting
- Improve patient’s access to advice and appropriate treatment for minor ailments via Community Pharmacy
- Reduce GP workload for these ailments allowing greater focus on more complex and urgent medical conditions
- Educate patients with aim of reducing requests for inappropriate supplies of antibiotics
- Promote the role of the pharmacist and self-care
- Improve working relationships between doctors and pharmacists
The service is offered as a quicker alternative for patients to access healthcare. Patient choice is critical, and some may choose to refuse the service and continue to access treatments in the same way as they have done previously.
The Service Tiers
Tier 1 services can be offered by any interested pharmacy and include the simple UTI service for females age 16-64 years and the acute bacterial conjunctivitis (ABC) service for children under 2 years.
Tier 2 skin services are available for offer by any interested pharmacy provided that they also deliver Tier 1 service.
Tier 3 service will only be available for offer by selected pharmacies. There will be a selection process which will involve completion of an expression of interest on PharmOutcomes. This will be announced in due course, at this time NHSE&I are working on new SLAs and PGDs etc.
These extended care services are available for pharmacies to offer across the whole NHSE&I Midlands footprint. To ensure that you have the most accurate and up-to-date information regarding all of these services, South Staffordshire LPC are hosting the detailed service information pages for the whole region.
Please click here to access the FAQ page regarding Community Pharmacy Extended Care Suite of Services pages on their website and the main Extended Care Services Page here.
