Pharmacy First experiences

Healthwatch is the independent champion for people who use health and care services. We are working with health and social care services to help them understand your experiences.
Pharmacies play an important role in how people get healthcare and medicines. In this survey we want to hear about people’s experiences of using Pharmacy First.

Pharmacy First allows people to get advice and treatment for some common conditions directly from their local pharmacy, without needing a GP appointment or prescription. These conditions are:
  • Sinusitis
  • Sore throat
  • Earache
  • Infected insect bite
  • Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection)
  • Shingles
  • Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women
You can access Pharmacy First through online pharmacies as well as going to a local pharmacy in person.
You could be referred to Pharmacy First from your GP or 111, and this might be for other minor conditions in addition to the ones listed above, or for urgent medication.
Your feedback will be shared anonymously with local NHS decision-makers to help them understand people’s experiences and improve pharmacy services across Calderdale and Kirklees.

Closing date: 28 February 2026
Estimated time to complete: around 5 minutes

All information you share is anonymous and will be stored in line with data protection legislation. To find out more about how we use and store information, please see our privacy statement

If you have any questions, need support to complete the survey, or would prefer to share your experiences in a different way, please contact us:

Healthwatch Calderdale
Email: info@healthwatchcalderdale.co.uk
Tel: 01422 412141

Healthwatch Kirklees
Email: info@healthwatchkirklees.co.uk
Tel: 01924 450379


Thank you.



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