Are you ready for winter?

Getting organised

NHS England’s Urgent and Emergency Care Plan 2025/26, published in June, aims to protect the most vulnerable people and keep vital health and care services running when respiratory viruses surge.

This year, the National Booking Service for flu vaccinations will remain open until the end of the flu campaign in March 2026. 

There will also be an NHS flu jab walk-in finder, so that from next month (October), patients can easily look up when they can walk into a community pharmacy to get a vaccination. This will enable people to access flu jabs in community pharmacies more easily and more conveniently.

This year, pregnant women have been able to be vaccinated against flu since the beginning of September, whereas other adults can be vaccinated from October.

Lindsey Fairbrother, superintendent pharmacist at Good Life Pharmacy in Hatton, Derbyshire, recommends that pharmacies set up their booking systems as soon as possible, if they have not already done so.

“They should make sure they have the appropriate number of staff, including enough trained vaccinators, and can offer extra jab clinics after office hours and on weekends, as this is when a lot of people will be needing them,” she says.

“To raise awareness of flu jabs for pregnant women, pharmacies could place shelf labels near pregnancy vitamin products. For high-risk groups, they need to flag up patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disease, as well as the over-75s. They could put a red flag on repeat prescriptions and even a note inside prescription bags being collected.”

Chan says that offering walk-in appointments may encourage more people to have their flu jab in a pharmacy rather than waiting for a GP appointment.

“Make the vaccination process convenient by offering flexible appointment times,” he says. “This reduces logistical barriers and can make it easier for hesitant patients to take the step toward vaccination.

“After initial discussions, consider following up with people who remain hesitant, as providing ongoing support and information can help them feel more confident in their decision over time.”

Antania Tang, senior advice and support pharmacist at the NPA, recommends that pharmacy teams reach out to patients who had the flu jab through their pharmacy last year.   

“Pharmacies are often open for different hours to a GP surgery, so pharmacy teams can highlight their convenience,” she says.

“If patients have particular concerns, pharmacies can refer them to appropriate factual information to explain the benefits based on each person’s specific health risks. They could also speak to carers and local nursing homes about providing flu jabs to reach more vulnerable groups.”

Winter health advice

This May, YouGov polling for CPE found that community pharmacies were the most accessible healthcare location last winter for members of the public.

Of those who tried to access healthcare services, 58 per cent said they found it easy to access community pharmacy compared with 39 per cent who found it easy to access general practice, 37 per cent dentists, 22 per cent non-urgent hospital services and 18 per cent A&E.

CPE and the Taskforce for Lung Health have backed a greater role for pharmacies in supporting lung health. This could help to improve health outcomes and prevent another winter health crisis.

Respiratory diseases are the leading driver of emergency admissions and winter pressures within the NHS, and breathing issues are responsible for one in eight emergency admissions in England – higher than heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions and cancer.

CPE’s YouGov polling revealed that four out of five people across England would support increasing the range of respiratory health services offered by pharmacies, including more help with coughs and colds (85 per cent), assessments and support for people with asthma (85 per cent) and preventative measures such as a wider range of vaccinations (also 85 per cent).

According to the NPA, at least six million hours of time in A&E departments was taken up last year by patients with issues that could have been treated in a community pharmacy.

Some patients were going to A&E with winter ailments such as sore throats, blocked noses and common colds, and many attended with conditions that could have been treated through Pharmacy First. 

This followed another survey by the NPA, which revealed that around four in five pharmacies receive requests for unnecessary antibiotics for minor ailments such as colds at least once a day.

CPE’s Alastair Buxton says that Pharmacy First can help to cement pharmacies in the public mindset as the place to go for advice and treatment for minor conditions.

“As we head into another busy winter season, public awareness of the service will be vital to ensure it has the maximum impact,” he says.

“Pharmacy First has already helped many millions of people, and the service is continuing to grow, but the winter season will bring a boost in demand – as is common to all NHS service providers at this time of year.

Pharmacy teams can help to make sure their local communities know that Pharmacy First is available. We have developed a range of promotional materials to help raise awareness of the service, including posters, social media assets and an animation, all available on our Pharmacy First hub: cpe.org.uk/pharmacyfirst.”

OTC ready

Winter remedies are often stress purchases, with people buying items urgently as soon as cold and flu symptoms strike. If stock isn’t available, they are likely to go elsewhere, so ordering winter remedies well in advance is important for pharmacies.

Chan says businesses should aim to strike a balance between offering high profile, well advertised brands and providing generic or less well-known alternatives.

Many customers will know which product they want to purchase,” he says. “They come to the pharmacy specifically looking for brands they have seen advertised, as these often have strong consumer trust and recognition. Stocking these brands can meet customer expectations and drive sales.

“Generic and less well-known brands typically offer similar efficacy at a lower price point, appealing to cost-conscious customers. Highlighting these options can cater to those who are looking for value without compromising on quality.”

Lindsey Fairbrother says that giving time to patients at the pharmacy counter will encourage them to come back. “Pharmacists could put a coloured sticker on specific cold and flu products so teams know when to recommend a Pharmacy First consultation,” she says.

“Pharmacies need to offer a wide range of products to suit customers’ different requirements. Upselling and link-selling are both important, so pharmacies could stock additional items to improve winter health and wellbeing, such as hot water bottles and wheat bags, supplements such as vitamin C and zinc, and even walking sticks to make sure people won’t fall over when it is icy.”