NHS Pharmacy First
Sore Throat Treatment in Ewell, Epsom
A free NHS consultation for sore throat at Miles Pharmacy, with treatment where it is clinically appropriate. No GP appointment, no referral, and you do not need to be registered with us.
- Free NHS consultation
- Ages 5 and over
- Walk in or book
Who it is for
Who this covers
NHS eligibility 5 years and over
The NHS sore throat pathway covers adults and children aged 5 and over. If you are pregnant and under 16 you will need to see your GP instead. There is no charge for the consultation. If you are given a medicine, the standard NHS prescription charge applies unless you are exempt.
The part nobody explains
How we decide whether you need antibiotics
Most sore throats are viral and get better on their own within a week. Around nine in ten of the sore throats seen in a pharmacy are caused by a virus, and antibiotics do nothing for those.
To work out which is which, the pharmacist uses a scoring system called FeverPAIN. It is the same tool a GP would use. You get a point for each of these:
- A fever in the last 24 hours
- Pus on the tonsils
- Coming in quickly, within three days of symptoms starting
- Severely inflamed tonsils
- No cough and no cold symptoms
A low score
Antibiotics will not help, so you will get pain relief and self-care advice instead, plus clear guidance on when to come back.
A high score
A bacterial infection is more likely, and the pharmacist can consider supplying an antibiotic there and then.
This is not the pharmacist being awkward about antibiotics. It is the same clinical pathway your GP follows, and taking antibiotics you do not need makes them less likely to work when you do.
What causes a sore throat?
Sore throat is a common condition and usually will clear by itself within a week. In most cases, it is caused by a viral infection and less commonly by bacterial infection. It is also associated with a number of other conditions. The pharmacist will assess your symptoms to try and determine the cause of the sore throat.
What are the main signs and symptoms?
Sore throat is associated with a number of signs and symptoms. These include:
- Painful throat, especially when swallowing
- Temperature
- Swollen neck glands
- Feeling unwell
- Redness in the back of the throat
- Bad breath
Children usually can show the same symptoms and they may have a fever and appear less active than usual.
What to expect
What happens when you come in
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Book or walk in
Book online, call 020 8393 1000, or come to the counter. No referral and no GP appointment needed.
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A private consultation
The pharmacist will look at your throat, ask about your symptoms and how long you have had them, and work through the FeverPAIN score with you.
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Treatment or advice
If an antibiotic is appropriate, you can be supplied there and then. If it is not, you will get pain relief advice and be told exactly what to watch for and when to come back. Either way the consultation is recorded and sent to your GP with your consent.
Being straight with you
When to get urgent help instead
Call 999 or go to A&E if you or your child have difficulty breathing, are drooling or cannot swallow, are making a high-pitched noise when breathing, or have a stiff neck with a rash that does not fade when pressed.
Call 111 if the sore throat has lasted more than a week without improving, keeps coming back, or you feel very unwell.
Before you come in
Questions people ask about this
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Sometimes. The pharmacist assesses you using the FeverPAIN scoring system, and if the score suggests a bacterial infection they can supply an antibiotic without you seeing a GP.
If it suggests a virus, antibiotics would not help and you will be given pain relief and self-care advice instead.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
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Most clear up within a week. If yours has lasted longer than that without improving, or it keeps returning, see your GP rather than booking here.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
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The consultation is free on the NHS.
If you are given a medicine, the standard NHS prescription charge applies unless you are exempt.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
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No, you can walk in. Booking means you will not wait, and if we are busy the pharmacist may ask you to come back at a set time.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
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No. This is open to anyone registered with a GP practice in England, whichever practice that is.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
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Yes, from age 5. Under 5s need to see a GP. If your child is pregnant and under 16, that also needs a GP.
Samit Patel
Superintendent Pharmacist and Director · GPhC 2076789
No appointment needed
Come in today.
Choose Pharmacy First and a time that suits you, or walk in and ask at the counter. The consultation is free on the NHS.
- Private and NHS
- GPhC premises 9011598
- Open until 6:30pm
Prefer to talk? 020 8393 1000