Pharmacy First
NHS Service Inclusion Criteria
This service is for patients:
- aged 5 years or older with signs or symptoms of a sore throat (see below) presenting for a consultation within 3 days of the onset of those signs or symptoms
NHS Service Exclusion Criteria
This service is not available:
- to individuals under 5 years of age
- during pregnancy or suspected pregnancy in individuals under 16
- in recurrent sore throat (7+ significant episodes in the preceding 12 months or 5+ in each of the preceding 2 years or 3+ in each of the preceding 3 years)
- to individuals that have had their tonsils removed
Private (Non-NHS Service)
In addition to the symptom based NHS Pharmacy First service we also provide a private Strep A Test and Treat Service which is available from 1 year of age. This includes a swab test of the throat to check for a bacterial strep A presence.
About Sore Throats
If you have a sore throat you might have:
- a painful throat, especially when swallowing
- a dry scratchy throat
- redness in the back of your mouth
- bad breath
- a mild cough
- swollen neck glands
The symptoms are similar for children but children can also get a high temperature and appear less active.
Sore throats are usually caused by viruses (like cold or flu) or from smoking. Symptomatic relief and rest will help for these types of sore throats. Very occasionally they can be caused by bacteria (strep A). Antibiotics will only help with a bacterial infection. Symptoms of a strep A sore throat include:
- a fever (a temperature of over 38oC)
- pus on the tonsils
- severely inflamed tonsils
- no cough or runny nose
NHS information about Sore Throat: