A child tugging at a painful ear is one of the most common reasons for a GP visit — and now one of the easiest to sort. Our pharmacists assess and treat acute middle-ear infection in children aged 1 to 17, on the NHS, without a GP appointment.
The NHS sets the criteria nationally — if you fall outside them, we will point you to the right service rather than turn you away.
Children and young people aged 1 to 17.
In these cases we will refer you to your GP, NHS 111 or emergency care — whichever your symptoms need.
The pharmacist examines the ear with an otoscope in our private consultation room and assesses against the NHS criteria. Most ear infections settle with good pain relief — where the examination indicates antibiotics are needed, we can supply them under the national protocol at the same visit.
The consultation is free. If a prescription medicine is supplied, the standard NHS prescription charge (currently £9.90 per item) applies unless you are exempt — the same as at your GP.
No GP referral, no NHS registration needed. Just come in while we're open — or ring ahead to check the quietest time.
A trained pharmacist assesses your symptoms against the NHS criteria in our private consultation room — usually 10–15 minutes.
Where treatment is clinically appropriate, we supply it there and then — including prescription-only medicines under the national protocol.
Often not — most acute middle-ear infections clear within a few days, and effective pain relief is the first-line NHS treatment. The otoscope examination tells us whether your child is in the group that genuinely benefits from antibiotics.
The NHS Pharmacy First earache pathway covers ages 1 to 17. If you are 18 or over, speak to us anyway — we can advise and point you to the right service.
Walk in whenever we are open — no appointment or GP referral needed. A quiet moment mid-morning or early afternoon usually means the shortest wait.
Babies under 1 with ear pain need to be seen by a GP — the national criteria exclude them from pharmacy treatment, and we will help you get the right appointment instead.
Also treated free under NHS Pharmacy First: