Health conditions that allows you to skip the GP queue

While the NHS continues to battle a ‘quademic’ of winter viruses - flu, COVID, RSV and norovirus - the backlog of appointments means the average wait facing patients is around 14 weeks.

Pharmacies across the UK have been helping the NHS ease the burden of the 6.3million patients waiting for treatment since the launch of the Pharmacy First scheme in January last year.

Under the scheme, launched in England at the start of last year, following rollout in Wales and Scotland, patients could skip the GP queue if they were suffering with seven specific conditions.

(Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire)

Now Well Pharmacy has launched its Online Doctor service to take further strain off the NHS by letting patients seek advice and treatment for 16 new conditions.

Well’s Online Doctor service connects patients directly with their team of doctors and independent pharmacists, all of whom have years of experience caring for patients in NHS hospitals, GP surgeries and in community pharmacies.

Patients will fill out a confidential online consultation form before an online doctor or pharmacist will review their answers and provide advice and prescription for treatment, if necessary.

Well Pharmacy’s George Sandhu says: “To help both yourself, and the NHS, it is worth being aware of these 16 areas that you can talk to our free Online Doctor service about.

“It’s not only likely to be even easier than getting an appointment to see your GP, but for some, it might feel less awkward to broach some of the more intimate conditions covered by the team, such as premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.”

These are some of the conditions that can allow you to skip the GP queue.

Erectile dysfunction

Around one in eight men (4.3million) in the UK suffer with erectile dysfunction, according to the  Urology Foundation - but experts at the charity suggest that number may be higher, given that many men are reluctant to speak to a doctor about the condition.

Men who  have trouble getting or keeping an erection are certainly not alone. Well’s Online Doctor service will review symptoms and prescribe the right treatment, avoiding any awkward face-to-face conversations, and helping to make sex as rewarding and enjoyable as it should be.

Hair loss treatments

Male pattern baldness affects around 6.5million men in the UK by about the age of 50.

Now there are highly effective hair loss treatments that can help prevent hair loss and promote regrowth.  A consultation with Well’s Online team could be the start of a man’s journey back to thicker hair.

Premature ejaculation treatments (PE)

Between one in three and one in five UK men (20 to 30%) are thought to suffer premature ejaculation (PE) according to the British Association of Urological Surgeons - but  fewer than one in four seek treatment for it.

A confidential online service like Well’s Online Doctor could allow men who struggle to talk face-to-face about their concerns, a safe space to discuss this sensitive topic.

Contraception

Oral contraceptives like the pill are the most common contraceptive method in all age groups, except those aged 35 and over who more commonly use intrauterine (IU) systems like the coil.

Millions of women use routine contraception for pregnancy prevention. Using the Online Doctor service will likely further ease pressure on GP practices.

The morning after pill

For those needing quick access to emergency contraception, speed is of the essence.

Research by HRA Pharma has shown that a third of British women were held back from obtaining the pill because they were too embarrassed to talk to a pharmacist about it.

The Online Doctor service should remove the stigma attached for those seeking EC, providing a service without any need for face to face contact.

Asthma

Asthma is a common lung condition that causes occasional breathing difficulties. Around eight million people in the UK have been diagnosed with the condition, about 12% of the population.

The condition affects people of all ages and often starts in childhood, although it can also develop for the first time in adults. Symptoms include breathlessness, a tight chest, coughing and wheezing.

Although there is currently no cure for asthma, treatments - usually inhalers - help to keep symptoms under control.  Tablets and steroid injections can also be prescribed for more serious conditions.

Migraine treatments

Migraines affect one in five women and one  in 15 men, usually starting in early adulthood.

A migraine is much more than a headache, it is a complex brain condition that can cause symptoms throughout the body.

A migraine headache is usually a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head.

For some people, migraine headaches can occur several times a week, for others they are more occasional..

There are a variety of medications that can treat migraines; Analgesics like paracetamol or aspirin, triptans that bind to serotonin receptors in the brain and antiemetics, which help prevent nausea and vomiting.

The Online Doctor service will assess a patient’s symptoms and prescribe the medication best suited to them.

Allergy treatments

An estimated 21 million people are living with allergies in the UK, according to patient charity Allergy UK. This is just under one third of the population.

In the two decades between 1998 and 2018, some 101,891 people were admitted to hospital in the UK  for anaphylaxis: a life-threatening allergic reaction.

Well’s Online Doctor service can help determine the cause of the allergic reaction and suggest the best course of treatment - whether it be antihistamine tablets or, for severe allergies,  an emergency medicine called an adrenaline auto-injector, such as an EpiPen..

Period delay

The period delaying pill is known as norethisterone and is in a class of medications called progestins.

The tablets work by mimicking natural progesterone levels to keep them raised in the body, which in turn stop the womb lining from shedding, which delays a period.

The period delay tablet must be taken three days before a woman’s monthly cycle is expected to start for it to postpone the menstrual cycle for up to 17 days. Tablets can be obtained via the Online Doctor Service

Jet Lag

The NHS website advises that while jet lag cannot be prevented, there are things you can do to reduce its effects.

Alongside practical ways to avoid travel-related tiredness like eye masks on flights and keeping hydrated, passengers can find sleeping tablets useful as an inflight sleeping aid.

The Online Doctor service can provide tablets for the sleep disturbance which occurs with  jet lag. The tablets contain melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone, which regulates your sleeping pattern.

These jet lag tablets can be made available after a simple online consultation and delivered to your home before you head for the airport.

Malaria treatments

According to the latest World Health Malaria report, there were 263 million cases of malaria in 2023 compared to 252 million cases in 2022. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 597 000 in 2023 compared to 600 000 in 2022.

Travellers need to check the malarial risk of the area they are travelling to up to six weeks before their trip.

The disease can be prevented by taking tablets that work by enabling the body to fight off the disease-causing parasite. This parasite enters the  body when an infected mosquito bites a person.

The best tablet to take depends on the region of travel, as well as its suitability based on any health and other medical conditions, and the patient’s budget.

An online consultation can determine which is the best course of treatment for those at risk of malaria.

Cystitis treatments

Urinary Tract infections or UTIs, of which cystitis is one, can be particularly serious in older people.

New NHS data shows UTI’s  have led to more than 800,000 admissions to hospitals across the country over the past five years.

The older patients are, the more serious a UTI can be. While the overall UTI death rate in hospitals is around four in one hundred, that number rises to nearly one in 10 for people aged 95 and over, so quick treatment for this common condition is vital.

Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) treatments

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been rising in England, with  a 4.7% increase in new diagnoses in 2023 compared to 2022.

Young people experience the highest diagnosis rates for sexually transmitted diseases in England.

Well’s Online Service allows for a sensitive and discreet consultation to take place to diagnose any sexual transmitted infections.

Patients will choose the medication they require before filling out an online consultation which will be ratified by a pharmacist before they sign off on the treatment.

Well’s Online Doctor can provide treatment for chlamydia, genital warts and genital herpes once a patient has been confirmed as having an STI.

Facial hair removal

Unwanted facial hair can easily be treated with a prescription-only cream called Vaniqa which works to reduce the growth of new hair follicles.

Patients - who may be embarrassed about speaking about their facial hair issues with someone - can get help discreetly through the Online Doctor service.

Acne

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the UK, leading to 3.5 million visits to primary care every year.

An online consultation not only eases the burden on the NHS, but should enable patients to be treated quickly with a choice of gels such as Azelaic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide or the hormonal contraceptive Cy-Prindiol.

Quitting smoking

In England, nearly two-thirds (60%) of smokers want to quit, some 10% of whom intend to do so within three months.

Yet less than one  in 10 adults who smoke cigarettes succeed in quitting each year.

The Online Doctor service can provide both advice on which products might best suit a patient and on-going support from an experienced team of health professionals.

Treatments include the prescription of Varenicline, a prescription-only medication that helps smokers quit and Cystine, a nicotine-free treatment that mimics its effects in the body, easing cravings and reducing withdrawal symptoms.