Leeds Pharmacy Access to Self Care (ASC)
The Leeds ASC Service is commissioned to support patients for whom cost presents a genuine barrier to treatment and who may otherwise seek support from their GP or Out of Hours services for minor ailments instead of purchasing appropriate OTC medicines.
The service is not intended to replace routine OTC purchases or to redirect all minor ailment presentations into the scheme. Patients should continue to be encouraged to purchase OTC medicines where this is reasonable and affordable.
To be eligible for the service patients must:
- Be currently suffering from one of the minor ailments included in the service – e.g. the service MUST NOT be used to supply medicines for “just in case” use.
- Be exempt from prescription charges due to low income – note; children under 16 years are not automatically eligible for the service; they must have at least one parent who qualifies for an income-based prescription exemption.
- Consent to share details with their GP – without this consent the patient cannot access the service.
- Be registered with a Leeds GP practice (the only exception is patients who are not registered with a GP and who are either homeless, or asylum seekers or refugees.
Leeds Pharmacy Access to Self-Care (ASC) was previously known as Pharmacy First but was renamed following the launch of the national Pharmacy First Service in January 2024.
The service was reviewed in March 2026 following a substantial rise in costs and changes made to the eligibility criteria for the service. Click here for a summary of the changes.
Service Documents
Leeds ASC Service Specification 2026/27
ASC Consultation Form – March 2026
For any Leeds pharmacies wanting to provide the service, please email info@cpwy.org.
How to Claim
Claims for this service are processed via PharmOutcomes.
Please ensure you use the correct service template to record service provision:
- Use the “Leeds Access to Self-Care – WALK Ins” template to record ASC consultations for walk-in or signposted patients.
- Use the other template for recording supplies following a consultation provided under Pharmacy First.
Leeds Pharmacy Access to Self Care Service Providers – last updated on 1st April 2026. This list will be updated monthly.
Resources
Caring for Children with Coughs Leaflet
Treat Yourself Better website – Not available as a leaflet but patients can be signposted to the website.
Final Scabies Leaflet – English
Final Scabies Leaflet – Romanian
West Yorkshire Healthier Together Website
The West Yorkshire Healthier Together website has a wide range of resources covering child health. For example, the page on Fever has advice for parents on red, amber and green symptoms with an associated video (available in 6 languages) that includes clips of breathing difficulty to help aid assessment of the child.
The website also allows you to share the page via free SMS text message with parents or carers so they can access the resource from their phone.
Leeds Community Urgent Eyecare Service (CUES)
CUES provides urgent assessment, treatment or referral for sudden onset eye problems such as:
- Temporary and sudden loss of vision
- Flashes and floaters
- Minor eye injuries, pain, and irritation
- Eye infections that have not responded to treatment
- Trichiasis
- Double vision (Diplopia)
This service is open to adults and children registered with a GP practice in Leeds and access to this service is only available by calling 0303 330 0280 (please note, this is a new telephone number as of September 2025). See the CUES leaflet below for further information.
CUES Leaflet – Please note that the new service telephone number is different to that on the leaflet (delivered to community pharmacies in November 2024). NHS West Yorkshire ICB is considering whether to reissue updated resources. Please use this leaflet for information only, but signpost to the new telephone number above.
Minor Illness Resource Hub
To support pharmacy teams in managing minor illnesses, including identifying red flag symptoms, Community Pharmacy England has compiled a one-stop resource hub linking to the most up to date clinic resources on managing minor illnesses. See Minor Illnesses Resource Hub.
Last Updated: 1st April 2026
