MORE people will be able to access health services without needing to see a GP under a plan launched by officials in England.
It asks patients to use high street pharmacies for some common drug prescriptions and routine tests to ease the pressure on busy doctors.
NHS England says its plan will free up 15m GP appointments over the next two years – around 2% of the total.
But some are concerned about how pharmacies will cope with extra demand.
Data shows there are now fewer local chemists than at any time since 2015. Rising operational costs, staff shortages and reduced government financial support have been blamed.
Pharmacists warn that many more local businesses could close without help.
