All 714 community pharmacies in Wales will offer winter wellness checks, focusing on flu, smoking, high blood pressure, long-term conditions and discharged hospital patients throughout October.

The initiative forms one of the three national public health campaigns Welsh pharmacies are contractually obliged to provide each year, and will focus particularly on older people and patients at risk of becoming ill in winter.

The campaign would put Wales "at the heart of efforts" to help patients and NHS Wales deal with winter illness, Russell Goodway said	More from Wales Welsh pharmacies boost MUR numbers under stroke campaign Pharmacies in Wales exceed England's dispensing rate by 15 per cent Wales pharmacists refer hundreds in July eyecare campaign MORE NEWS
	Community Pharmacy Wales chief executive Russell Goodway told C+D the campaign would put Wales "at the heart of efforts" to help patients and NHS Wales deal with winter illness.

The launch of the checks coincides with the start of NHS flu vaccinations for the over-65s and at-risk groups, which were offered free and without appointment by some Wales pharmacies for the first time last winter. At least a quarter of pharmacies will offer free flu vaccines this year.

Pharmacies will also give advice on keeping homes warm, accessing benefits and keeping active.

The campaign is run by all Welsh health boards and co-ordinated by Public Health Wales, Community Pharmacy Wales and Age Cymru. Health and social care minister Mark Drakeford is due to give his backing during a visit to a Swansea pharmacy on October 10.

Libraries in Wales will support the initiative with posters and information. The Wales Centre for Pharmacy Professional Education will provide educational support.

The winter wellness checks follow a ‘look after your eyes' campaign in the summer and a stroke awareness campaign in the spring, which reached 10,000 people.