News | Urgent and emergency care

More than 40% of hospital admissions from care homes are avoidable with better preventative care

Some 79,000 emergency admissions to hospital involving care home residents could be avoided in one year with better preventative primary care, an analysis from NHS England and the Health Foundation has found.…

A&E could refer patients to community pharmacy under new five-year contract

Patients in A&E could be sent to see a community pharmacist instead of a doctor under a future expansion of the scheme that currently refers patients from NHS 111 and general practice.…

Royal college to rewrite policy that said pharmacists should only treat new A&E patients when the case relates to medicine

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has said it will rewrite its position statment on the use of pharmacists in emergency departments, which has been criticised as “disappointing” and “not patient-centred”.…

Emergency antibiotic supplies from pharmacies double in a year

The number of emergency antibiotics supplied to patients by community pharmacies without a prescription has almost doubled in one year, data from the NHS Business Services Authority show.…

Emergency antibiotic supplies double despite concern over AMR

As the number of antibiotics supplied through the NHS Urgent Medicine Supply Advanced Service increases, concerns are growing over its impact on antimicrobial resistance.…

NUMSAS referrals to community pharmacy more than double in a year

The number of referrals to community pharmacy through the NHS Urgent Medicine Supply Advanced Service (NUMSAS) has more than doubled in the past year, according to data from NHS England.…

NHS Digital may trial pharmacy access to patient records using a tablet this year

Pharmacists could soon access summary care records (SCR) using an Apple iPad rather than a smartcard, under a new NHS Digital pilot.…

Pharmacists with additional skills can take ‘overall clinical responsibility’ for patients in A&E, study finds

Pharmacists with additional clinical skills training can take clinical responsibility for patients in hospital emergency departments, according to research published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy.…

NHS looks to pharmacy as it faces a tough winter

As winter demands on the NHS rise, pharmacists are being reallocated to offer ward-based prescribing and seven-day pharmacy services to relieve the pressure. …

Winter pressure fears after highest ever emergency hospital admissions

Emergency hospital admissions have reached their highest level since data collection began, leading to fears that the NHS could face even more severe winter pressures than in previous years.…