Almost 305,000 doses of the morning-after pill have been handed out free at high street pharmacies in the first six months of a new NHS scheme, figures reveal – a dramatic shift that far exceeds the 150,000 prescriptions issued via GPs and clinics in the whole of the previous year.
The service, launched in October 2025, allows women to walk into a pharmacy for a confidential consultation and receive medication the same day, removing the need to book a doctor or sexual health clinic appointment. The number of women also asking pharmacists about the regular oral contraceptive pill more than doubled to over 115,000 in the 12 months to February 2026, compared with around 50,000 the year before.
“Almost 305,000 free morning-after pill doses dispensed, but 400,000 eye patients could be treated by opticians instead of A&E.”
Dr Sue Mann, NHS National Clinical Director for Women's Health, called the scheme a "major step forward for women's health", adding: "This service is already making a real impact, particularly for women living in more deprived communities, by making contraception easier to access closer to home." The government said it would end the "unfair" barriers and postcode lottery some women previously faced.
Yet while one high street service is thriving, another is being overlooked. Eye problems such as conjunctivitis, dry eye and minor abrasions are among the conditions driving up to 400,000 avoidable A&E visits each year, according to the Association of Optometrists (AOP). Its analysis estimates that between 62% and 78% of the 780,000 eye-related A&E attendances in England could be safely managed by community opticians.
Many high street opticians already offer free NHS-funded minor and urgent eye care clinics, where patients with red eyes, infections, flashes, floaters or sudden vision changes can be assessed and treated – but not all are commissioned to do so, creating a patchwork of provision. AOP chief executive Adam Sampson said: "Emergency departments should not be the default destination to manage eye problems. What this research tells us is that hundreds of thousands of patients each year end up in A&E because they conclude it's their only option, but they could be treated by the highly trained optometry workforce based in the community."
He warned of a postcode lottery: "The challenge is not capability, it's consistency. It's essential we have a service in place for everyone everywhere in England to treat eye problems in the community." A&E waiting time standards have not been met in any month since July 2015, and eye complaints remain among the top 10 reasons for attendance.
The contrast between the two services raises questions about whether the government's ambition to shift care from hospitals to the high street will be fulfilled unless funding and commissioning keep pace.
