The health service must make better use of community pharmacy throughout the year to reduce the pressure on A&E services in winter, primary care organisation NHS Alliance has said.

Although pharmacies had been commissioned to deliver "minor projects" to support winter pressure initiatives this year, they had all been "too late, too small and poorly publicised", NHS Alliance said in its response to a parliamentary enquiry into winter pressures published yesterday (April 2).

It used its response to the all-party parliamentary group on primary care and public health to call for community pharmacists to support GPs and A&E services throughout the year and urged NHS England to commission pharmacies to deliver national services such as flu vaccinations.

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	Most schemes designed by health organisations to reduce the burden on A&E in winter were not commissioned for long enough to make a significant impact, the organisation said. NHS England needed to provide extra funding to extend existing services for the whole year if it wanted to find a permanent solution, NHS Alliance said.

"Only a small percentage [of pharmacies] have minor ailments schemes and most of those have a limited supply of medicines and very poor connections with general practice. None have any supportive technology. This needs to change," it added.

NHS Alliance advisor for pharmacy Mark Robinson told the enquiry that contractors in London had "stepped up to the mark" to deliver a flu vaccination service under Pharmacy London this year, but it was "introduced a little too late" and didn't "join up the effort" with GPs.

Despite delivering more than 75,000 vaccinations, the service had been "merely a scratch on the surface", as another two million vaccinations were required across England each year, Mr Robinson said.

"We need a clear and consistent vision to ensure high immunisation uptake and [we] suggest a flu campaign and service run by NHS England that is consistent across the country, which builds local relationships to ensure great delivery," he added.

NHS Alliance also used its response to call for the creation of a "GP-led, multi-disciplinary, clinical service model" that could provide patients with same-day treatment for their winter ailments by linking up community pharmacists with GPs, nurses and paramedics.

The all-party parliamentary group for public health and primary care held its inquiry into winter services over seven weeks between February and April. It will use the responses to make recommendations to the government about what action should be taken to prevent winter crises in future.