Asda lightens the load of GPs with 'Issue Is' campaign
Asda lightens the load of GPs with 'Issue Is' campaign
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New research shows 77% of GPs say minor conditions are putting unnecessary pressure on surgeries
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31% spend over an hour a day treating issues pharmacies could handle
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With half of Brits unsure what their pharmacy can treat, Asda launches ISSUE IS - a memorable acronym reminding people when to choose Pharmacy First, not the GP
17 February, London – GPs across the UK are under growing pressure from rising demand for minor illness appointments. Research commissioned by Asda Pharmacy reveals that 87% of doctors say this winter has been busier than usual for minor health concerns, with nearly a third (31%) spending more than an hour every day treating conditions that could be safely managed in pharmacies.
Crucially, 77% of GPs agree too many appointments are currently used for minor illness, while 75% believe wider use of Pharmacy First would help reduce waiting times and free up capacity for patients with more complex or urgent needs.
The challenge isn’t that people are seeking help unnecessarily, it’s knowing where to go. Half of UK adults (50%) aren’t aware which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy through Pharmacy First, and 22% admit booking a GP appointment for something a pharmacy could have handled, simply because they didn’t know they had the option.
To tackle this confusion, Asda Pharmacy is launching ISSUE IS, an awareness campaign designed to help families quickly recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice. ISSUE IS is a simple, memorable acronym covering common conditions pharmacists can treat:
I – Infected insect bites
S – Sore throats
S – Sinusitis
U – Uncomplicated UTIs
E – Earache
I – Impetigo
S – Shingles
By turning clinical guidance into a clear mental shortcut, ISSUE IS helps customers act with confidence and get treated sooner, without automatically booking a GP appointment.
Confusion around where to go first has real consequences. More than half of Brits (58%) say they delayed seeking treatment after being unable to get a GP appointment, even though a pharmacy could have helped. Meanwhile, 32% report long GP waiting times, 33% were told to call back another day for a same-day appointment, and one in seven (14%) have visited urgent care or A&E for minor symptoms.
Despite being a free NHS service available at Asda Pharmacy – offering expert clinical advice and NHS-funded treatment, including prescriptions – awareness of Pharmacy First remains low. Nearly half of adults (49%) had not heard of it before, while 11% couldn’t name a single condition pharmacists can treat.
To help drive change, Asda has partnered with TV doctor Dr Hilary Jones to encourage the public to rethink where they go first when everyday illness strikes.
Dr Hilary Jones said:
“Too many people still don’t realise how much their local pharmacy can do. Pharmacists are trained healthcare professionals who can assess symptoms and provide NHS treatment for common conditions. Pharmacy First helps patients get seen faster and reduces pressure on GP surgeries – and Asda’s ISSUE IS campaign makes it easier than ever to know where to go first.”
Faisal Tuddy, Asda Head of Pharmacy, said:
“When someone in the family feels unwell, knowing what to do next can feel like another decision in an already busy day. That mental load often leads people to default to the GP, even when faster, simpler care is available closer to home.”
“With more than 230 Asda Pharmacies across the UK, ISSUE IS gives customers a memorable way to recognise when Pharmacy First is the right choice, making it easier to see a pharmacist quickly, get treated sooner, and ease unnecessary pressure on GP surgeries.”
For more information about Pharmacy First and to find your nearest participating Asda Pharmacy, visit asda.com/pharmacy or speak to a trained pharmacist in store.
ENDS
Research questions:
Gen Pop
Q1. When you have a minor illness, where do you usually go first?
Self-treat – 38%
Pharmacy – 31%
GP – 15%
NHS 111 – 8%
Online GP/digital service – 6%
Other – 2%
Q2. Have you experienced any of the following this winter?
None of the above – 36%
Turning to self-treatment after not being able to get a GP appointment – 34%
Being told to call back another day for a same-day GP appointment – 33%
Long GP wait times – 32%
Visiting urgent care or A&E for minor symptoms – 14%
Q3. Approximately how long did you wait for your most recent GP appointment for a minor health issue?
1–2 days – 24%
3–5 days – 21%
Same day – 20%
More than 5 days – 10%
Could not get an appointment – 7%
Up to 2 weeks – 7%
Over 1 week – 6%
Up to 3 weeks – 3%
Up to 4 weeks – 1%
5 weeks and over – 1%
Q4. Have you ever delayed seeking treatment for a minor illness because you could not get a GP appointment?
Yes – 58%
No – 36%
Not sure – 6%
Q5. Have you ever visited a pharmacy for advice about a minor health problem?
Yes – 77%
No – 21%
Unsure – 2%
Q6. Over the past winter, have you tried to book a GP appointment for a minor illness?
No – 63%
Yes – 35%
Not sure – 2%
Q7. How easy or difficult was it to get that appointment?
Fairly easy – 36%
Difficult – 24%
Very easy – 16%
Could not get one – 16%
Very difficult – 8%
NET: Very/Fairly easy – 52%
NET: Difficult – 32%
Q8. Which of the following statements do you agree with?
I want healthcare to be easier and more convenient – 58%
I would use pharmacies more if it was clearer what they can help with – 51%
I’ve waited too long for GP appointments this winter – 23%
I’ve wasted time trying to get GP appointments for small issues – 22%
I didn’t realise pharmacies could treat minor illnesses – 15%
None of the above – 10%
Q9. Before today, had you heard of the NHS Pharmacy First service?
No – 49%
Yes – 43%
Not sure – 8%
Q10. How well do you understand what Pharmacy First allows pharmacists to help with?
Not very well – 34%
Fairly well – 33%
Very well – 17%
Not at all – 16%
NET: Very/Fairly well – 50%
NET: Not very well/Not at all – 50%
Q11. Which of the following do you believe a pharmacist can treat under Pharmacy First?
Sore throat – 79%
Earache – 61%
Infected insect bites – 60%
Sinusitis – 44%
Urinary tract infection (UTI) – 41%
Impetigo – 28%
Shingles – 21%
Not sure – 11%
None of these – 2%
Q12. What is the main reason you would choose to see a GP rather than visit a pharmacy for minor symptoms?
Wanted a prescription – 32%
More trust in GP – 29%
Didn’t know pharmacy could help – 20%
Habit – 12%
Other – 7%
Q13. “I feel confident knowing which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy.”
Agree – 38%
Strongly agree – 22%
Neither agree nor disagree – 21%
Disagree – 15%
Strongly disagree – 5%
NET: Agree – 60%
NET: Disagree – 20%
Q14. “I trust pharmacists to assess symptoms and provide appropriate treatment.”
Agree – 46%
Strongly agree – 23%
Neither agree nor disagree – 24%
Disagree – 6%
Strongly disagree – 1%
NET: Agree – 68%
NET: Disagree – 8%
Q15. “Pharmacies should be the first place people go for minor health problems.”
Agree – 43%
Strongly agree – 27%
Neither agree nor disagree – 24%
Disagree – 5%
Strongly disagree – 1%
NET: Agree – 70%
NET: Disagree – 7%
Q16. “I find it confusing knowing when to use a pharmacy versus booking a GP appointment.”
Agree – 35%
Neither agree nor disagree – 25%
Disagree – 19%
Strongly agree – 15%
Strongly disagree – 6%
NET: Agree – 51%
NET: Disagree – 25%
Q17. Which of the following statements do you agree with?
I trust pharmacists to deal with minor health problems – 51%
I would use a pharmacy more if I better understood what symptoms they can treat – 49%
Booking a GP appointment is more complicated than visiting a pharmacy – 44%
I didn’t realise pharmacists can provide NHS prescriptions for some conditions – 40%
I find it difficult to get a GP appointment – 37%
I usually don’t know whether to go to a GP or pharmacy – 23%
I have booked a GP appointment for something treatable at a pharmacy – 22%
None of the above – 6%
Q18. Would a simple acronym explaining which symptoms pharmacies can treat make it easier to remember Pharmacy First?
Yes – 48%
Yes, perhaps – 42%
No – 10%
NET: Yes – 90%
Q19. After seeing the ISSUE IS acronym, which statements do you agree with?
It makes it clearer which symptoms can be treated at a pharmacy – 53%
It would help me remember when to use Pharmacy First – 45%
It would catch my attention – 41%
It simplifies healthcare decisions – 39%
It would make me more likely to visit a pharmacy than a GP – 39%
It would not influence my behaviour – 16%
Q20. After learning about Pharmacy First, how likely are you to use a pharmacy for minor symptoms in future?
Very likely – 51%
Quite likely – 43%
Unlikely – 4%
Very unlikely – 2%
NET: Very/Quite likely – 94%
NET: Unlikely – 6%
Q1. Approximately what proportion of your appointments involve minor conditions that could be treated under Pharmacy First?
10–25% – 44%
26–50% – 44%
Over 50% – 9%
Under 10% – 3%
Average – 29.7%
Q2. Has this winter been busier than usual for minor illness appointments at your practice?
Yes, a lot – 44%
Yes, a bit – 43%
No – 13%
NET: Yes – 87%
Q3. How much time per day do you estimate is spent dealing with minor conditions suitable for Pharmacy First?
15–30 minutes – 40%
Over 1 hour – 31%
30–60 minutes – 27%
Under 15 minutes – 3%
Average – 41.1 minutes
Q4. Have seasonal illness trends increased pressure on your service this year?
Yes – 91%
No – 9%
Q5. “Too many GP appointments are currently being used for minor illness.”
Strongly agree – 41%
Agree – 36%
Neither agree nor disagree – 13%
Disagree – 9%
NET: Agree – 77%
NET: Disagree – 9%
Q6. “Patients often do not understand which symptoms pharmacists can treat.”
Agree – 36%
Strongly agree – 35%
Neither agree nor disagree – 17%
Disagree – 12%
NET: Agree – 71%
NET: Disagree – 12%
Q7. “Minor illness appointments place unnecessary pressure on GP capacity.”
Strongly agree – 51%
Agree – 31%
Disagree – 9%
Neither agree nor disagree – 8%
Strongly disagree – 1%
NET: Agree – 81%
NET: Disagree – 11%
Q8. “Increasing Pharmacy First usage would reduce waiting times at GP surgeries.”
Strongly agree – 39%
Agree – 36%
Neither agree nor disagree – 16%
Disagree – 9%
NET: Agree – 75%
NET: Disagree – 9%
Q9. “Public awareness of Pharmacy First is currently too low.”
Strongly agree – 41%
Agree – 37%
Neither agree nor disagree – 15%
Disagree – 5%
Strongly disagree – 1%
NET: Agree – 79%
NET: Disagree – 7%
Q10. “A clear public awareness campaign would help patients choose the right care pathway.”
Strongly agree – 64%
Agree – 24%
Neither agree nor disagree – 12%
NET: Agree – 88%
Q11. “I would support retailers like Asda actively promoting Pharmacy First.”
Strongly agree – 48%
Agree – 45%
Neither agree nor disagree – 4%
Disagree – 3%
NET: Agree – 93%
NET: Disagree – 3%