NHS Services for Over-65s in Gillingham — No GP Appointment Needed

What can a pharmacy do for over-65s?

Many people in Gillingham still think of the pharmacy mainly as a place to collect medicines. In fact, your local pharmacy now provides a broad range of NHS clinical services — and most of them are free, with no GP appointment needed.

This matters most if you are aged 65 or over. As you get older, you are more likely to benefit from regular health checks, seasonal vaccinations, and quick access to treatment when a minor illness flares up. Medway Pharmacy on Canterbury Street is set up to help with all of these. The premises are accessible at street level, and our pharmacists speak to you in plain language — no medical jargon.

Below is a clear guide to the NHS services available to you, what each one involves, and how to access it. If anything is unclear, please call us on 01634 575805 or pop in — we are open seven days a week from 7:30am to 10pm, excluding bank holidays.

Free blood pressure check

High blood pressure (hypertension) often causes no symptoms at all. Many people do not know they have it until it is picked up during a routine check. Left untreated, high blood pressure raises your risk of stroke, heart attack, and kidney disease — all conditions that become more common with age.

The NHS Community Pharmacy Blood Pressure Check Service is free for anyone aged 40 and over who has not already been diagnosed with high blood pressure. You do not need a GP referral and you do not need to book an appointment — just walk in and ask.

The check itself takes only a few minutes. A pharmacist will place a cuff around your upper arm and take a reading. If your blood pressure is raised, the pharmacist will advise you and may refer you to your GP for further assessment. If it is normal, you will be encouraged to have it rechecked every year or two, depending on the reading.

Regular checks are especially worthwhile from age 65 onwards. Blood pressure tends to rise with age, and catching it early makes treatment much more straightforward.

Pharmacy First for minor illness

NHS Pharmacy First is a service that lets a pharmacist assess and treat certain common conditions — without you needing to see a GP first. Launched in January 2024, it covers seven clinical pathways. Each pathway has its own eligibility criteria, including age limits.

The conditions most relevant to adults aged 65 and over are:

• Sinusitis — for adults and young people aged 12 and over with facial pain or pressure and a blocked or runny nose.
• Sore throat — for patients aged 5 and over. The pharmacist uses a clinical scoring tool to assess whether antibiotics are likely to help.
• Shingles — for adults aged 18 and over. Early treatment with antivirals is most effective, so prompt access through Pharmacy First is particularly valuable. If you notice a painful rash, please come in as soon as possible.
• Impetigo — for adults and children aged 1 and over with a localised skin infection.
• Infected insect bites — for patients aged 1 and over where a bite has become red, swollen, or is producing discharge.

Pharmacy First consultations are free on the NHS. There is no consultation fee and no prescription charge for medicines supplied under the service. Consultations take place in a private room. You do not need an appointment, though you can book online if you prefer.

Please note: some Pharmacy First pathways have age restrictions that affect older adults. For example, the UTI (urinary tract infection) pathway is available only to women aged 16 to 64, and the earache pathway covers children aged 1 to 17. If your condition falls outside the criteria, the pharmacist will advise you on the right next step — which may be a GP referral.

Repeat prescriptions

If you take regular medicines for a long-term condition — such as blood pressure tablets, cholesterol-lowering medicines, or medicines for diabetes or arthritis — your GP can set these up as a repeat prescription. This means you do not need to visit your GP surgery every time you need a new supply.

At Medway Pharmacy, we can order your repeat prescription on your behalf and dispense it ready for collection. If you are aged 60 or over in England, your NHS prescriptions are free of charge — you pay nothing when you collect your medicines.

To get started, speak to a member of our team or ask your GP surgery to nominate Medway Pharmacy as your preferred dispenser. Once that is set up, collecting your monthly medicines is as simple as popping in when you need them.

If you find it difficult to collect in person, please call us on 01634 575805 and we will advise on the best option for your situation.

Free NHS flu jab

Everyone aged 65 and over is entitled to a free NHS flu jab each autumn. Flu can be serious at any age, but it carries a higher risk of complications — such as pneumonia — for older adults. The vaccine is updated each year to match the strains most likely to circulate that winter.

For adults aged 65 and over, the NHS provides a higher-strength or adjuvanted flu vaccine. This formulation is specifically chosen to produce a stronger immune response in older adults, because the immune system naturally becomes less active with age.

The best time to have the flu jab is between September and the end of November, before flu season peaks. It takes about two weeks for full protection to develop. Medway Pharmacy usually offers NHS flu vaccinations from September each year — call us or pop in to check availability.

You do not usually need to see your GP to get a flu jab at a pharmacy. However, it is worth booking ahead during busy autumn periods. You can call us on 01634 575805 to arrange a time that suits you.

COVID-19 vaccination

NHS COVID-19 boosters are offered each autumn to those at highest risk. For the 2025–2026 season, NHS eligibility included adults aged 75 and over, residents of older adult care homes, and people who are immunosuppressed.

If you are aged 65 to 74 and do not have a condition that affects your immune system, you may not be eligible for a free NHS COVID booster under the current programme. Eligibility can change from year to year, so it is always worth checking the latest guidance at nhs.uk or calling 119.

Our team at Medway Pharmacy can advise you on your current eligibility when you come in, and will let you know whether we are currently offering the COVID vaccine as part of the NHS programme.

Ear wax removal

Ear wax (cerumen) is normal and usually clears on its own. But as we get older, ear wax can build up and become harder, causing muffled hearing, a feeling of fullness in the ear, or even mild ringing (tinnitus). These symptoms are easy to mistake for age-related hearing loss, so it is worth having your ears checked if you notice a change.

Before seeking professional removal, the NHS recommends softening the wax first. You can use olive oil drops — two or three drops in the affected ear, twice a day, for up to four weeks — or sodium bicarbonate drops, which are available over the counter at the pharmacy. Tilting your head to one side for a minute or two after putting drops in helps them reach the wax.

If self-care does not clear the problem, Medway Pharmacy offers ear wax removal. Please ask our team for details of the service, availability, and any charges that may apply, as this is not always provided under NHS funding in all areas of Medway.

Do not attempt to remove ear wax yourself using cotton buds or similar objects — these push wax further in and can damage the ear canal. Our pharmacists can advise on safe self-care options if you are unsure.

Frequently asked questions