Community pharmacy was the most accessible healthcare location for the public last winter, ahead of general practice, dentists and hospital services, polling by YouGov has found.

Almost six in 10 people who tried to access community pharmacies last winter found it easy to do so, compared to just four in 10 who could easily access general practice and two in 10 who could easily access hospitals.

The polling also suggested that around half of the public are worried about access to healthcare services this coming winter.

And with respiratory illness the biggest driver of winter pressures, sector bodies have called for community pharmacies to play a greater role in respiratory healthcare.

Last winter, the public found pharmacies easier to access than GPs or hospitals

In the survey commissioned by Community Pharmacy England (CPE), of those who tried to access specific healthcare services last winter:

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  • Six in 10 (58%) said they found it easy to access community pharmacy, while just 5% found it difficult.
  • Four in 10 (39%) found it easy to access general practice, while 37% found it difficult. And half (50%) of those who struggled said this had a negative impact on their medical condition at that time.
  • Three in 10 (29%) found it easy to access dentists, while 29% found it difficult. Around half (46%) of those who struggled said it had a negative impact.
  • Two in 10 (22%) found it easy to access non-urgent hospital services, while 22% found it difficult.
  • And two in 10 (18%) found it easy to access A&E, while a further 18% found it difficult. Of those struggling to access A&E or non-urgent hospital services, 37% said it had a negative impact on their medical condition.

Concerns about access to healthcare this winter

And for this coming winter, 46% of the public are concerned about GP access, 50% are concerned about A&E access, 36% are concerned about access to non-urgent hospital services and 32% are concerned about access to dental services, the survey found.

Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), said the convenient access to pharmacies was 'particularly noticeable in the winter, where we know GPs and hospitals are at their busiest'.

'Trusting pharmacies in England to treat a wider range of health conditions, like they already do in other parts of the UK, will deliver good value for money and better care for patients, avoiding the 8am scramble for a GP appointment,' he said.

Pharmacies could do more to help with lung health

The leading driver of emergency admissions and winter pressures within the NHS relates to lung disease, chair of the taskforce for lung health, and incoming NPA chief executive Henry Gregg noted.

'Last winter was the busiest year on record for emergency services, with more than 15 hospitals across England declaring critical incidents,' he said.

'By expanding the use of community pharmacies, the government can reduce the number of respiratory emergency admissions and prevent another winter NHS crisis, but they must act now.'

The YouGov polling found that 84-87% people across England would support increasing the range of respiratory health services offered by pharmacies, including:

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  • more help with coughs and colds 85%,
  • assessments and support for people with asthma (85%),
  • a wider range of vaccinations (85%),
  • and stop smoking services with needing a referral (84%).

Expanding Pharmacy First could help mitigate winter pressures

Dr Nick Thayer, head of policy at the Company Chemists’ Association (CCA), said that 'harnessing pharmacies to administer more NHS vaccines and expanding Pharmacy First were two vital steps the NHS could take to mitigate next winter’s pressures'.

He noted: 'Community pharmacy provides easy access to healthcare when other parts of the NHS may not be readily accessible or available. For example, NHS Pharmacy First consultations amongst our members saw a 10% uplift in the week leading up to Christmas.'

'We must do all we can to protect pharmacies'

According to the YouGov poll of 1,920 adults, surveyed online between 12 - 13 May 2025, two-thirds of the public think community pharmacy services are important for themselves (65%), three-quarters think they are important for their families (73%) and four in five think the same for their local communities (81%).

And over three-quarters (77%) said they would be concerned if their local community pharmacy were to close, YouGov found.

The survey figures were weighted to be representative of all adults in England (aged 18+).

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Alastair Buxton, CPE director of NHS services, said: 'By empowering and investing in pharmacies to offer a fuller range of respiratory healthcare services, they could provide the lifeline that our creaking health system needs.

'We should be investing in pharmacies to make better use of their clinical skills to provide a variety of prevention and public health services, such as those to support and manage respiratory health issues. This would help patients and the wider NHS.'

He added: 'Community pharmacy has so much to offer if it can be put on a sustainable footing, so it is in all our interests to do all we can to protect and empower them.'