What happens after you submit your assessment
You've sent your Pharmacy First appointment with our pharmacist — here's exactly what happens next, who'll be in touch, and how to get your treatment if the pharmacist decides one is right for you.
The short version
Once your online form arrives in our clinical system, a pharmacist reviews it — usually within 1-2 hours during opening hours. If they need to assess you, they'll send you a secure accuRx video link by text message, or arrange for you to pop in — the Pharmacy First conditions are assessed by video or in person, not by phone alone. After the consultation, the pharmacist decides whether NHS treatment is appropriate. If it is, your medicine is dispatched or made ready to collect, and your GP is notified through GP Connect. The consultation is free under the NHS; any medicine supplied carries the standard NHS prescription charge unless you're exempt.
Step by step — from "submit" to follow-up
This is the typical journey. Real timings depend on when you submit and how busy the pharmacy is on the day.
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Instant
You book your appointment
Your booking goes straight to our pharmacy team and you'll see an on-screen confirmation with your reference, plus a confirmation email. Nothing else is needed from you at this point — please don't book twice.
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At your appointment time
The pharmacist sees you
Come in, or take the video call — for a video appointment we email a secure link shortly before your time. The pharmacist asks about your symptoms, eligibility, current medicines and allergies, and checks your NHS summary care record where available.
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Same session
Anything unclear? They'll follow up
If something needs clarifying after the appointment — a medicine interaction, a photo that needs a second look — the pharmacist phones you. The clinical assessment itself always happens at the appointment, by video or in person.
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At the appointment (~5-10 min)
Clinical decision
The pharmacist makes one of three decisions: (a) NHS treatment is appropriate under the pathway, (b) self-care advice alone is the right answer, or (c) your case falls outside Pharmacy First and needs onward referral to your GP, NHS 111, or A&E. They'll explain the reasoning.
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Same day where possible
Medicine dispatched or ready to collect
If treatment is supplied, you choose how to receive it: local van delivery across the LS2–LS6 postcodes, Royal Mail Tracked anywhere in England (usually next-day), or collection in person from our Woodsley Road counter. There's no charge.
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Immediate
Your GP is notified
A consultation summary is sent to your registered GP electronically through NHS GP Connect. Your GP record stays joined-up so anyone treating you next sees what happened here.
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Pathway-specific
Follow-up if you need us
You'll be told when to check back in (different conditions have different review points). If symptoms get worse, don't improve, or new red-flag symptoms appear, message us through accuRx, call the pharmacy, or — if it's urgent — contact NHS 111 or 999.
The pharmacist consultation — what to expect
The video consultation (or your in-person visit) usually lasts 5-10 minutes. It's a clinical consultation, not a sales call — if it's by video, join from a quiet spot where you can talk privately and show the affected area to the camera if asked.
What to have ready
- A list of any other medicines you're taking — prescription, over-the-counter, herbal, or supplements. The boxes themselves are ideal if they're nearby.
- Any known drug allergies and what happened when you had a reaction.
- Your date of birth and full postcode — used to confirm your identity against the record on file.
- A pen and paper, or your phone notes app, in case you want to jot down advice.
How the pharmacist verifies your identity
Before any clinical detail is shared, the pharmacist will ask you to confirm at least two of: your full name, date of birth, address or postcode, and the name of your GP. This protects your medical information — please don't be offended; it's the same check a GP receptionist would do.
If you miss the call
The pharmacist will try again later in the same session and, if they still can't reach you, leave a brief voicemail (if your number accepts one) and a follow-up SMS. You can also call us back on 0113 244 1551 and quote your name and date of birth — the team will route you straight back to the pharmacist on duty.
If we send you an accuRx video link
The Pharmacy First conditions are assessed by video or in person (not by phone alone), so the pharmacist can see the affected area. For most pathways we'll text you a secure video link; you're also welcome to pop in instead.
What accuRx is
accuRx is an NHS-approved video consultation tool used by thousands of GP surgeries and pharmacies across England. It's secure, encrypted, and designed for healthcare — your call isn't recorded by us, and the link expires after use.
How it works on your phone
- You'll get an SMS from the pharmacy with a one-tap link.
- Tap the link — the video call opens in your phone's browser. There's no app to install and no account to create.
- Allow camera and microphone access when your phone asks — this is required for video to work.
- The pharmacist's video appears, and yours shows alongside.
What you'll need
- Good light on your face — natural daylight near a window is ideal.
- A quiet room where you won't be interrupted.
- For sore throat: a small torch if you have one (your phone torch works too — a family member can hold it while you open your mouth).
- Your phone held at arm's length, in landscape or portrait — whichever feels steadier.
If the SMS doesn't arrive
Check your signal and check the phone number you gave matches your current mobile. If after 15 minutes nothing has arrived, call 0113 244 1551 — we can resend the link, or arrange for you to come in instead. Some networks delay SMS to numbers that haven't received text from a healthcare service before; this usually clears on retry.
If video isn't right for you
Just tell us. Video is offered for clinical usefulness, not as a hurdle — if it doesn't work for you (poor signal, no camera, visual impairment, anxiety on camera), you're welcome to come in to the pharmacy in person instead. The Pharmacy First conditions need a video or in-person assessment, so an in-person visit is the alternative to video.
Getting your medicine
If the pharmacist decides NHS treatment is appropriate, you choose how to receive it. The consultation is free; if a medicine is supplied you pay the standard NHS prescription charge unless you're exempt.
Local van
Local van delivery (£1) covers addresses across the LS2–LS6 postcodes: order by 10am and, once our pharmacist has approved it, it goes out on the next morning’s 10am round.
Royal Mail Tracked
Anywhere in England. Usually next-day. You'll get a tracking link by email when the parcel is collected by the courier.
Collect in person
Pick up from our Woodsley Road counter during opening hours. Bring photo ID if it's a controlled or age-restricted product (the pharmacist will tell you on the call).
For full delivery cut-off times, area coverage, and what happens if you're not in, see our Prescriptions & Deliveries page.
How your GP is notified
NHS Pharmacy First is part of joined-up NHS care — what happens here doesn't sit in a silo.
What gets sent
- A consultation summary: the date, the pathway used (e.g. sinusitis, sore throat, UTI), the clinical decision, and any safety-netting advice given.
- The name and quantity of any medicine supplied, together with the supplying pharmacist's name and GPhC number.
- Anything the pharmacist thinks the GP should know — for example, if a referral back was advised.
When it's sent
Immediately at the end of the consultation, electronically, through NHS GP Connect — the same NHS messaging spine your GP surgery uses to receive hospital letters and out-of-hours notes. Your GP usually sees it the next working day in their workflow.
What you can see
You can request a copy of your consultation record from us at any time. If you use the NHS App, the medication supplied may also appear there once your GP practice has processed the incoming message.
Follow-up — when to come back
Most Pharmacy First conditions are short-term and improve quickly with the right treatment. The pharmacist will give you condition-specific safety-netting advice on the call; the table below is a general guide.
- UTI — if symptoms haven't started easing within 48 hours of starting treatment, contact us.
- Sore throat — most settle within 3-5 days. Contact us sooner if you can't swallow fluids, develop a high fever, or feel rapidly worse.
- Sinusitis — review at around 7 days if not improving, sooner if severe one-sided facial pain, swelling around the eye, or vision changes appear.
- Impetigo / infected insect bite — improvement expected within 5-7 days; come back sooner if spreading, fever, or red streaks.
- Shingles — review if pain becomes severe, the rash spreads to the eye or forehead, or new patches appear after a week.
How to get back in touch
The simplest way is to reply to the accuRx SMS you received — it threads straight back to the team. You can also call 0113 244 1551 or walk in during opening hours.
One exception — ear infections (otitis media)
The acute otitis media pathway is the one Pharmacy First condition where we cannot complete the assessment remotely. The pharmacist needs to look inside the ear with an otoscope — a small lighted instrument — to see the eardrum and confirm what's going on. That's not something a phone or video call can do safely.
If you submit the assessment for ear pain and the pharmacist needs to examine you, they'll invite you in to the consultation room at Woodsley Road. The examination takes a couple of minutes, and the rest of the consultation runs as normal. Everything else — the NHS supply, the GP notification, the no-charge promise — works the same way.
If you can't get in (mobility, distance, work) the pharmacist will refer you to your GP or NHS 111 instead, so you're not stuck.
Haven't submitted your assessment yet?
Book your appointment online — it takes under a minute, and your booking lands straight with the pharmacist on duty.
Start online assessment → Or call 0113 244 1551Frequently asked questions
- How soon can I be seen?
- Booking slots run through every opening day — same-day slots are usually available, and walk-in works too during opening hours. Book the time that suits you; the appointment itself takes about 5–10 minutes.
- What if I miss the pharmacist's call?
- The pharmacist will try again in the same session and leave a brief voicemail or SMS. You can call us back on 0113 244 1551 at any time during opening hours and ask to be put through to the duty pharmacist for your assessment.
- Is the video call private?
- Yes. accuRx is an NHS-approved, encrypted video tool used widely across GP practices. The call isn't recorded by us, and the link expires after use. Only the pharmacist on the call can see and hear you. We handle your data in line with the NHS Confidentiality Code and our ICO registration (Z334106X).
- What if I can't do video?
- Come in instead — every pathway can be done in person at the pharmacy, and children's earache is in person anyway (the ear examination needs an otoscope). Under the NHS service the clinical assessment can't be done by phone alone.
- What if I'm not at home for delivery?
- For Royal Mail Tracked, the courier follows standard "sorry we missed you" rules — they'll attempt redelivery or take the parcel to a collection point. For local van delivery, our driver will phone you on the way; if you're out, you can rearrange or switch to in-person collection. Full details on our Prescriptions page.
- How will my GP know what happened here?
- We send a consultation summary electronically through NHS GP Connect the moment the consultation ends. Your GP usually sees it in their workflow the next working day. It includes the condition assessed, the decision made, and the name of any medicine supplied.
- What if my symptoms get worse?
- Get back in touch with us — reply to the accuRx text, call 0113 244 1551, or walk in. For anything urgent — severe pain, high fever with shivering, breathing difficulty, confusion, a non-fading rash — go straight to NHS 111 or A&E / 999. Don't wait on us if you're worried.
- Is there really no charge?
- The consultation is free for everyone in England — the NHS pays us directly for that, and you will never be asked for a card to be assessed. If a medicine is supplied it follows the normal NHS rules: the standard prescription charge per item, or nothing if you're exempt (under 16, over 60, maternity or medical exemption certificates, and the other usual exemptions).
- What if I'm not in Leeds?
- That's fine. Pharmacy First is available to anyone in England registered with an NHS GP, wherever they live. We use Royal Mail Tracked to deliver medicine anywhere in England, and your GP — wherever they are — is notified through GP Connect.
- Can someone help me on the call?
- Yes. You can have a family member, friend, or carer with you on the call or in the room during the video link. If they'll be speaking on your behalf, please tell the pharmacist at the start so we can record consent. For under-16s, a parent or guardian must be present (most Pharmacy First pathways have age restrictions — the assessment form will have flagged this).
About this service at Hyde Park Pharmacy
Hyde Park Pharmacy is a community pharmacy in central Leeds, registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (premises 9011727), and a contractor of the NHS England Pharmacy First service. Our superintendent pharmacist (GPhC #2065619) is a registered Independent Prescriber. We follow the NHS England Pharmacy First service specification and the relevant NICE guidance for each condition pathway.
For an overview of all seven Pharmacy First pathways we cover — sore throat, sinusitis, otitis media, impetigo, infected insect bites, shingles, and UTI — see our main Pharmacy First page.