Links Pharmacy launches patient app to improve healthcare access in East Finchley
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
NHS waiting lists in London shot up by 73.8% since the pandemic, highlighting the urgent need for easy-to-access healthcare.
This enormous backlog is taking its toll on A&E departments and GPs - indeed, some surgeries in North London have patient satisfaction ratings below 50%. There is a clear need for community pharmacies to rise to the occasion, providing accessible care that takes the pressure off of overburdened hospitals and GPs.
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Hide AdThat is why, in order to help address these issues, Links Pharmacy has announced the launch of its app for patients.


The Links Pharmacy app will allow patients to order repeat prescriptions, set reminders for repeat prescriptions, ensuring they receive them without missing a dose, and track delivery of prescriptions in real time, all in one place.
Furthermore, the app enables patients to book and conduct consultations digitally, including NHS-funded appointments and private appointments for blood testing. This will make healthcare services and medications simpler, more accessible, and importantly, affordable for East Finchley residents, enhancing the overall patient experience and improving health outcomes.
With GPs facing major challenges in delivering appointments for patients in need, community pharmacies are best-placed to assist. Links Pharmacy can help with simple ailments such as sore throat, sinusitis, earaches, and other minor health concerns under the Pharmacy First scheme, prescribing medications, offering health advice, and emergency medicine supplies for when patients unexpectedly run out of medication. This way, patients can take control of their health in their own time.
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Hide AdPatients in East Finchley have found it "impossible to speak to a GP", with one worried parent sharing, "My child had a high fever for a week, yet I couldn't get an appointment and ended up in A&E." Community pharmacies can help with this, being often located centrally, open for longer hours, and more readily accessible for patients.
A Charac survey, conducted in partnership with YouGov, found that almost half of patients were unaware of Pharmacy First when it launched, and that less than a quarter of patients with minor ailments go to pharmacies as their first port of call.
This demonstrates the lack of awareness around community pharmacies - which are much more than just a place to get prescriptions. In fact, they serve as lifelines for their communities.
Not only can patients get the help they need for themselves or their loved ones, but community pharmacies are also helping share the burden with NHS services. It is integral that people are aware of the services available at their pharmacy and start using them to help relieve the NHS of the pressures it is facing.
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Hide AdLinks Pharmacy is dedicated to helping everyone in the East Finchley community, and its mission is to offer world-class healthcare.
With competitive prices, attentive people-first care, and a new digital platform to cater to patients with mobility issues, Links aims to ensure that every patient receives the help they need. Its range of services, include blood testing, screening, vaccination and healthy living services, so patients are always able to get the care they need.
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