The UK public have been warned that there are now almost 40 medical conditions that won’t be treated by the NHS in a shock revelation.
This is because the NHS has now launched a shutdown of any ‘unnecessary’ spending on common ailments which require ‘over-the-counter’ medicine.
Now, illnesses that you can take care of at home will be left to the public to deal with.
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Before, you could pop into the doctors to go and have your minor illness taken care of with a prescription, and now you’ll have to buy the product.
Some of the illnesses are so common, that it’s going to be a pain with how many times you’ll have to stock up on the medicine.
But for the NHS, it saves vital resources which could be better used elsewhere.
Here’s what you can’t get help from the doctor’s office anymore.
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Coughs, colds and nasal congestion
Say goodbye to asking for cough syrups or nasal sprays as you won’t be able to have it treated at the doctors.
As many of these products can be purchased away from the pharmacy, there’s really no need to bother the practice with it.
Conjunctivitis
A terrible ailment involves horrid gunk coming out of your eye, which can actually glue it shut while you sleep, conjunctivitis will now require you to pop into the shops to treat it yourself.
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This is so that the NHS can tighten prescriptions for certain medicines which could actually save the NHS millions of pounds each year.
Mild to moderate hayfever and seasonal rhinitis
If you’re suffering from hayfever and need something to calm your allergies, then you’ll need to find the antihistamines at the supermarket from now on.
Thanks to the proposals, which received ‘broad support’ when it was first discussed, as per Express, you can kiss your prescription goodbye.
Oral thrush
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Yes, even oral thrush isn’t going to get you a prescription.
This ailment sees white patches on the tongue and throat and is commonly seen in babies.
The reason for this?
According to River View Surgery as reported by the Mirror: “GPs issued 1.1 billion prescription items at a cost of £9.2 billion in 2015/16. The vast majority were appropriate, but many were for medicines, products or treatments that do not require a prescription and can be purchased over the counter from pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations, corner shops or other retailers in some cases at a much lower cost than the price paid by the NHS."
Adult constipation
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While this illness can keep you locked to the toilet all day, you should stock up on over-the-counter medications that you can grab away from the pharmacy to help it.
As NHS England claimed it spent £22.8 million on constipation treatment, there’s no need to continue to drive those costs.
Athlete’s foot
Even though it’s unsightly and uncomfortable, the NHS spent £3 million on athlete's foot and other fungal infections every year when it could be taken care of at home.
Other things include spending £4.5 million on dandruff shampoos, which is a common thing many people suffer from, but there are dandruff shampoos available in most shopping centres.
NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said at the time of the announcement: “The NHS is one of the most efficient health services in the world, but we’re determined to make taxpayers’ money go further. The NHS should not be paying for low value treatments and it’s right that we look at reducing prescriptions for medicines that patients can buy for a fraction of the price the NHS pays.”
When the changes were first introduced two years ago, these were the other conditions it affected, as per the River View Surgery.
Acute sore throat, infrequent cold sores of the lip, cradle cap, haemorrhoids, infant colic, mild cystitis, mild irritant dermatitis, dry eyes or sore eyes, earwax, excessive sweating, head lice, indigestion and heartburn, infrequent migraine, insect bites and sting, mild acne, mild dry skin, sunburn, sun protection, minor burns and scalds, minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and fever, mouth ulcers, nappy rash, prevention of dental caries, ringworm/athlete’s foot, teething/mild toothache, threadworms, travel sickness and warts and verruca’s.
Britt Jones