Pharmacies to offer sore throat tests to help GPs

People with sore throats will be urged to visit chemists instead of GPs under plans to tackle antibiotic resistance and reduce NHS costs. Sufferers in England will be encouraged to have a swab test at pharmacies to see if they need antibiotics and the results will be available in five minutes. Every year around 1.2 million people visit their GP with sore throat symptoms - and six in 10 were reportedly prescribed antibiotics.