Self Help for Minor Illness

Common ailments can often be treated by yourself at home using medicines that are available over the counter from your local pharmacy (chemist shop) or supermarket. NHS Choices has advice on their web site or you can phone NHS 111. Your local pharmacist can also advise you on minor illnesses.

Self-help guide

You can use the NHS Choices Self-Help Guide to get advice on many conditions, including how you can treat them at home and when to seek further help.

If the symptoms persist or worsen, or if you are at all unsure, please ring NHS 111 for advice

Find a pharmacy

Pharmacists are qualified to offer advice on many common ailments. Search for your local pharmacy using your postcode on the NHS website: Service search.

Free medicines without a prescription

For many common conditions you can use the Minor Ailments Scheme to get certain medicines from a pharmacy without a prescription. If you get free prescriptions the medicines are free. Otherwise you pay the usual prescription charge or the normal selling price of the medicines, whichever is lower.