Pharmacists have hit back at PSNC's warning that it could take at least two years for NHS England to agree to a national minor ailments scheme.

The "need was now" to ease the growing burden on A&E departments, NPA chief executive Mike Holden argued in response to PSNC chief executive Sue Sharpe's comments last month (October 29).

Mr Holden stressed that money would be better spent on commissioning a national minor ailments scheme instead of "throwing 200 million at this and 50 million at that".

"The need is now – bearing in mind that A&E struggled this summer and the winter is set to be the coldest yet," said NPA chief executive Mike Holden	More on the minor ailments scheme PSNC: at least two years for national minor ailments scheme Monitor adds weight to case for national minor ailments scheme       Success of Scotland's walk-in services supports case for national minor ailments scheme in England
	"The logical thing is not to commission locally, but to commission it nationally. We can't wait two years – if there's a will, then you can make it happen," Mr Holden said at the launch of the NPA's Ask Your Pharmacist campaign on Monday (November 4). The campaign is promoting pharmacy as the first port of call for patients with minor ailments.

Ms Sharpe said that PSNC was continuing to stress to politicians and commissioners that a national service would have a better chance of changing patient behaviour but her comment, were met with frustration from C+D readers.

Steve Jeffers, chief executive of Medicx Pharmacy, argued that the sector could not wait another two years. "With the coming winter crisis in A&E, we should have had a readymade solution to give to NHS England, which could have been implemented within two months, not two years," he posted on C+D's website. 

Superintendent pharmacist Harnek Chera agreed that the case should have already been made for a national scheme. "We have been providing a minor ailment service, I believe, since 2006 and I know that numerous other PCTs were running them back then. What kind of negotiating body would not have sought to gather evidence and make a case in over seven years?"

Speaking at the Ask Your Pharmacist launch, Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham LPC chief executive Jayesh Patel suggested that pharmacists needed to sell themselves, market their services and record patient outcomes to demonstrate the wider-reaching effects of pharmacy services.

Health service regulator Monitor has estimated that a national minor ailments scheme could save £64 million.