Pharmacy First condition
Sore Throat
A raw, painful throat that makes swallowing uncomfortable and can be assessed the same day at our Crewe pharmacy.
A sore throat is one of the most everyday reasons people reach out for help, and the great majority clear on their own. Through NHS Pharmacy First you can be assessed by a pharmacist at our Nantwich Road premises in Crewe without a GP appointment.
Viral or bacterial?
Most sore throats are viral, arriving alongside the cold and flu bugs that circulate through the year. They tend to peak around the third day and ease within a week, and an antibiotic makes no difference to them. A smaller number are bacterial, such as streptococcus, which can bring a more sudden, severe pain with swollen glands. You cannot tell the two apart yourself, so the pharmacist uses a recognised scoring approach, weighing your temperature, the look of your tonsils, tender neck glands and whether a cough is present.
What the pharmacist will do
After examining your throat and asking about your symptoms, the pharmacist explains whether treatment would genuinely help. Where the assessment supports it and it is clinically appropriate, NHS treatment can be supplied directly. If antibiotics are not the answer, you will leave with clear advice on easing the discomfort and a realistic idea of how long recovery takes.
Easing it at home
Rest, plenty of fluids and simple pain relief carry most people through. Paracetamol or ibuprofen takes the edge off, while warm drinks, lozenges or a salt-water gargle soothe the rawness. Steering clear of smoke helps too.
Seen in Crewe, no appointment needed
Anyone aged 5 and over can be assessed for a sore throat under this NHS service. Call 01270 215837 or call into the pharmacy during opening hours and a pharmacist will see you.
When to seek urgent help
Get medical help straight away if breathing or swallowing becomes difficult, if you are drooling because you cannot swallow, or if a very high temperature will not settle. A sore throat that drags on past a week, or keeps returning, is also worth a closer look.
Symptoms
Pain or scratchiness when swallowing, a dry or tender throat, swollen neck glands and sometimes a raised temperature.
What the pharmacist can do
Our pharmacist looks at your throat and glands, uses a recognised clinical scoring tool to gauge whether an antibiotic is likely to help, and either supplies NHS treatment or talks you through self-care.
When to see a GP or seek urgent help
Get urgent help if breathing becomes difficult, you cannot swallow your own saliva, you are drooling, or a stiff neck and high fever develop.