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Black Country Minor Ailment Scheme

Infographic of the Black Country Minor Ailments Scheme

Health Care Without the Wait: The Black Country Minor Ailment Scheme

If you’re feeling under the weather with a common illness, you don’t always need to wait for a GP appointment. Through the Black Country Minor Ailment Scheme, patients in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton can get expert advice and treatment directly from their local pharmacist.

This service is fast, convenient, and designed to help you get the right care as soon as you need it.

What is the Minor Ailment Scheme?

The Minor Ailment Scheme (MAS) is a specialized NHS service for people registered with a GP in the Black Country. It allows you to have a private consultation with a pharmacist who can diagnose and treat a wide variety of common health conditions.

Is it free?

  • The Advice: Consultations with the pharmacist are always free.

  • The Medicine: If you are exempt from prescription charges (for example, you are under 16, over 60, or have a valid exemption certificate), any medicine the pharmacist provides through the scheme is completely free.

Every Condition Covered

The Black Country scheme covers an extensive range of common illnesses. If you have any of the following, your local pharmacy can help:

🤒 Pain, Fever & Infections

  • Acute Cough & Fever

  • Sore Throat

  • Earache & Ear Wax

  • Headache & Acute Pain

  • Cystitis (Urinary infections)

  • Cold and Flu symptoms

  • Vaginal Thrush

🧴 Skin & Allergy Issues

  • Athlete’s Foot

  • Bites, Stings, and Allergies

  • Cold Sores (on the lips)

  • Dermatitis, Allergic Rashes & Dry Skin (Simple Eczema)

  • Nappy Rash

  • Scabies

  • Sunburn

  • Warts and Verrucae

🍏 Digestion & Stomach

  • Constipation

  • Diarrhoea

  • Heartburn & Indigestion (Dyspepsia)

  • Haemorrhoids (Piles)

  • Threadworm

👄 Mouth & Eyes

  • Acute Bacterial Conjunctivitis (Red, gritty eyes)

  • Mouth Ulcers

  • Oral Thrush

  • Teething

How to use the service

  1. Visit a participating pharmacy: Look for the “Minor Ailments” or “Pharmacy First” posters in the window. Access the pharmacy list via the Black Country GPs webpage.

  2. Ask for the scheme: Tell the pharmacy staff you’d like to use the Minor Ailment Scheme.

  3. Private Consultation: You’ll have a confidential chat with the pharmacist in a private room to discuss your symptoms.

  4. Get Treatment: If appropriate, the pharmacist will give you medicine and advice on how to use it.

Note: You can use this service up to 6 times in a 12-month period. It is intended for current symptoms, not for “stocking up” on medicines for future use.

Attending patients will need to bring their NHS number with them for the scheme to operate.