UK’s largest pharmacy chain and Sainsbury’s are planning trials with the National Health Service to give patients and alternative to going to see the doctor .
The trials will start in a Boot’s store in Poole where they will allow the NHS to rent some space in-store. NHS staff will be able to carry out blood tests, physiotherapy, heart echo tests and dietary services.
Sainsbury’s will open their first NHS in-store surgery in Manchester next year.
Boots are hoping for patients to view their pharmacies as an alternative to a doctor’s surgery for minor ailments.
Currently Tesco and Asda offer free blood pressure testing in-store and they also have in-store pharmacies. Sainsbury’s are hoping to overtake Tesco and Asda in this area.
Boot’s spokesman Donal McCabe said that the local health authority’s approval will mean that the first floor of the store in Poole will start receiving patients before Christmas . This may mean that the agreement could be extended to the other Dorset stores at “favourable commercial rates,” he said.
McCabe said, “We are very close to signing an agreement that will allow the NHS to provide some services from some of our stores.”
Richard Baker, Boots CEO will chair a conference on 26 July 2006 in Nottingham where Tony Blair is expected to disclose plans for the UK’s health care system.
If the initial trial is successful, Sainsbury’s may consider opening surgeries in other branches with in-store pharmacies. They are hoping to have 220 pharmacies by March next year.
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