NHS Pharmacy First in Sheffield › Sheffield City Centre
Living or working in the centre of Sheffield, you are about 0.3 km from a pharmacist who can assess seven common conditions without a GP appointment.
Photo: Crucible Theatre: BCDS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Sheffield city centre has several of the city's major listed buildings. Sheffield Town Hall on Pinstone Street is Grade I listed, and Sheffield City Hall on Barker's Pool is Grade II* listed. The Sheffield Winter Garden, opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2003, is the largest urban glasshouse in Europe, and the Crucible Theatre, which opened in 1971, has hosted the World Snooker Championship every year since 1977.
Fargate has been pedestrianised since 1973 and hosts a Continental Market about four times a year, and Sheffield Central Library is nearby on Surrey Street. Trams stop at Cathedral and City Hall, and Sheffield station is on Sheaf Street. If you live or work here, you are surrounded by things to do, and a trip to collect a prescription is rarely one of them.
Local places and descriptions: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Town Hall, Sheffield City Hall, Sheffield Winter Garden, Fargate. Community buildings: Google Maps.
Census 2021 figures: over 55% of residents in Sheffield City Centre are aged 16 to 24, well above the Sheffield average; fewer than 1 in 20 are aged 65 or over; and over 55% of households have no car, above the Sheffield average.
For many people in student flats and city-centre apartments, a short walk to a pharmacist can be quicker than waiting for a GP slot. Sore throat is covered from age 5, and women aged 16 to 64 can be assessed for an uncomplicated urinary tract infection.
Many city-centre residents are new to Sheffield and have not yet registered with a GP. You can ask the pharmacist about one of the seven conditions whether or not you are registered with a local practice, then confirm details with the pharmacy.
Doctors serving Sheffield City Centre include Clover City Practice and Devonshire Green Medical Centre. Measured in a straight line from the centre of the ward, Clover City Practice is the nearest, about 0.2 km away.
Whichever practice you are registered with, you can ask the pharmacy about the seven conditions without booking a GP appointment first.
For this service, Reliable Direct Pharmacy is at 251 Broomhall Street, S3 7SP, about 0.3 km in a straight line from the centre of Sheffield City Centre. The pharmacist uses the NHS pathway for your condition to check that the service is right for you.
The pharmacy is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, closed Saturday and Sunday for walk-in visits, and you can ring 0114 276 0150 to ask about availability first.
There is no charge for the consultation. Where the pharmacist supplies a prescription medicine through the service, you pay the usual NHS prescription charge unless you are exempt, for example if you are under 16 or aged 60 or over.
Not sure which applies? Describe your symptoms and the pharmacist will tell you.
Painful, blistering rash, usually on one side of the body.
A sore, scratchy throat, most often from a virus.
Stinging or burning and needing the toilet more often, if uncomplicated.
Red, swollen, warm or painful after a bite or sting.
Sores or golden-brown crusts from a contagious skin infection.
Middle ear pain, common in children.
Pressure or pain around the nose, cheeks and eyes for 10 days or more.
If your condition is not on the list, the pharmacist can still advise and signpost you.
Genuine 5-star Google reviews of the pharmacy, shown exactly as written. They describe the pharmacy's service in general, not Pharmacy First.
“Absolutely first class service. Our prescriptions are delivered within 1 working day of the GP practice issuing them and we have a contact number for a member of staff which is always answered promptly. I would recommend this company to everyone. Kathleen of Swinton, Mexborough.”
“These guys are excellent. Used to have a real problem with prescriptions being late or needing doing again because the doctors and attached pharmacy seem to do everything they can to not communicate or work with each other! Since switching to reliable - an appropriate name - I haven't had a single struggle or late script. Cannot recommend enough ( and I live in Doncaster!)”
Source: Google. Rating and count as reported by Google at the time of publishing.
Thinking about these beforehand speeds things up.
What they are, and when they began.
What you take, and any allergies.
Pregnancy or breastfeeding, a weakened immune system or a long-term condition.
Anything you have already used at home.
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Everything you discuss with the pharmacist is in confidence, and they explain each step as it happens.
Before you set off, call the pharmacy to find out about availability, opening times and what to bring.
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You may be given advice and self-care guidance, treatment where the NHS pathway allows it, or a referral to your GP, NHS 111 or urgent care if you need more.
The pharmacist explains the outcome and the reasons for it, so you know what to do next.
Yes. You do not have to live in a particular area. Please check availability with the pharmacy first.
The pharmacy is about 0.3 km from the centre of the ward in a straight line, so most people in the city centre can walk. Check your route and travel time before you set off.
Please call the pharmacy to find out about availability. You may be able to walk in during opening hours, but a busy spell can mean a short wait.
No need. Ask the pharmacist directly about any of the seven conditions. If you need a GP, they will say so.
Nothing for the consultation. If a medicine is supplied, the usual NHS prescription charge applies unless you are exempt.
Some conditions are open to children, with ages depending on the condition. Earache starts at age 1 and sore throat at age 5. The pharmacist confirms.
You are referred on, for example to your GP, NHS 111 or urgent care, and told why.
Walk-in opening hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, closed Saturday and Sunday. Please confirm availability with the pharmacy.
The walk-in branch is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, closed Saturday and Sunday, and deliveries run 7 days a week. The pharmacy and its pharmacists can be checked on the General Pharmaceutical Council register at pharmacyregulation.org.