Cost of living health support available in Sheffield

If you get free prescriptions, you don’t need to wait to see the doctor when you have any of the following conditions:

• Athletes foot
• Blocked nose
• Chicken pox
• Cold sores
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea 
• Eczema (Dermatitis)
• Eye infection
• Haemorrhoids (Piles)
• Hay fever
• Head lice
• Headache/ Earache/ Temperature Indigestion/ Heartburn/ Tummy upset
• Insect bites and stings
• Mouth ulcers
• Muscular pain
• Nappy rash
• Period pain
• Pruritus (Itching)
• Sore throat
• Teething
• Threadworm
• Thrush (including Oral thrush)
• Toothache

You can get advice and treatment from your pharmacist for free.

You are eligible for the service if you:

• are registered with a Sheffield GP
• don’t pay for your prescriptions
• you register for the service
• are suffering from one of the conditions listed.

How to access the minor ailments service

If you’re suffering from any of the conditions listed, go to your local pharmacist. Most pharmacies in Sheffield offer this service.

Pharmacists are highly trained healthcare professionals who can provide expert, confidential advice on common health problems and the best medicines to treat them.

As part of this service they will be following set guidelines to ensure you get the best possible care for your condition. This means sometimes they may recommend that you need to see a GP rather than receive the treatment you require from them.

You will be asked questions about your symptoms. These will include details about other medication you are currently taking and details about your illness. This is to make sure that the medicines you are given are suitable for you. All details given to the pharmacist are confidential.

When you see your pharmacist for one of the listed ailments, they are providing advice and, if needed, treatment for the symptoms you have described. You may not need any medicines. If this is the case the pharmacist will give you advice on how best to deal with your symptoms.

If it is appropriate the pharmacist will give you medicine. This medicine is only for you, it may not be right for anybody else even if they have similar symptoms.

The pharmacist will also tell you the best way to take the medicine and other ways to help manage your ailments.

Minor ailments scheme for children

If your child is registered with a Sheffield GP, all you will need to do is to fill out a form at the pharmacy. Medicines given under the service are free for all children.

If you know you'll have to pay for a lot of NHS prescriptions, it may be cheaper to buy a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) – effectively a prescription "season ticket".

A PPC covers all your NHS prescriptions, including NHS dental prescriptions, no matter how many items you need.

But it does not cover the cost of other health items, such as the provision of wigs and fabric supports, which are only provided through the hospital service.

There are 2 PPC options to choose from:

• The 3-month PPC costs £30.25 and will save you money if you need more than 3 prescribed items in 3 months.
• The 12-month PPC costs £108.10 and will save you money if you need more than 11 prescribed items in a year.

How much can I save?

If you need:

• 2 items each month – you can save £116.30 with a 12-month PPC
• 3 items each month – you can save £228.50 with a 12-month PPC
• 4 items each month – you can save £340.70 with a 12-month PPC

There are several payment options available. If you choose the 12-month PPC, you can pay for this upfront, or by 10 monthly direct debit instalments. Check the current costs for NHS prescriptions.

How to apply for a PPC?

Check if you're entitled to free prescriptions before you apply for a PPC. It's quickest to buy a PPC online. The PPC will start from the day you submit your application, unless you request a different start date, but the start date must be within 1 month before or after the date of your application.

If you prefer talking to someone, you can call the PPC order line on 0300 330 1341. Your certificate will be valid from the day you make the phone call, unless you request otherwise.

Make sure you have your bank details or credit or debit card details ready.

Find out more information about PPC here. 

If you have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests and you are on benefits or allowances you could claim for help with travel costs.

Who can claim for help with travel costs?

To qualify for help with travel costs under the HTCS, you must meet 3 conditions:

• At the time of your appointment, you or your partner (including civil partners) must receive one of the qualifying benefits or allowances listed on this page, or meet the eligibility criteria for the NHS Low Income Scheme.
• You must have a referral from a healthcare professional to a specialist or a hospital for further NHS treatment or tests (often referred to as secondary care).
• Your appointment must be on a separate visit to when the referral was made. This applies whether your treatment is provided at a different location (hospital or clinic) or on the same premises as where the GP or another health professional issued the referral.

Children and other dependants

You can claim travel costs for your children if you're eligible for any of the benefits described under condition 1 and your child has been referred for treatment as outlined in condition 2 and condition 3.

If your child is aged 16 or over, they may make their own claim under the Low Income Scheme.

Carers and escorts

You can claim travel costs for an escort if your health professional says it's medically necessary for someone to travel with you.

Some integrated care boards (ICBs) may accept claims for help with travel costs if you're the parent or guardian of a child under the age of 16 who you have to bring to your appointment with you.

These payments are made on the basis of the patient's eligibility for the scheme, irrespective of the escort's eligibility.

What are the qualifying benefits and allowances? You can find a list of qualifying benefits and allowances here.

How do I claim a refund?

To claim your travel costs, take your travel receipts, appointment letter or card, plus proof that you're receiving one of the qualifying benefits, to a nominated cashiers' office.

Nominated cashiers' offices are located in the hospital or clinic that treated you. They'll assess your claim and make the payment directly to you.

In some hospitals, the name of the office you need to go to may be different (for example, the General Office or the Patient Affairs Office).

If you're not sure, ask reception or Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS) staff where you should go.

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. Your benefit will be added onto this card every 4 weeks.

You can use your card to buy:

• plain liquid cow’s milk
• fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
• fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
• infant formula milk based on cow’s milk

You can also use your card to collect:

• Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
• vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years old

How can I apply?

If you’re receiving a qualifying benefit and are pregnant or have parental responsibility for at least one child under the age of 4, you can apply online now for the NHS Healthy Start card.

How much will I get for my children?

• £4.25 each week of your pregnancy (from the 10th week of your pregnancy)
• £8.50 each week for children from birth to 1 year old
• £4.25 each week for children between 1 and 4 years old

Your money will stop after your child’s 4th birthday, or if you no longer receive benefits.

You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins (see below for more details).

I’m under 18 and not on benefits. Do I qualify?

If you’re under 18 and more than 10 weeks pregnant, you qualify for Healthy Start until your baby is born. You do not need to receive any of the qualifying benefits or be getting tax credits. To apply, you need to call us on 0300 330 7010 and provide:

• your baby’s due date
• a copy of your birth certificate
• your NHS number 
• your National Insurance number

After your baby is born, you will only continue to qualify for Healthy Start if you get the qualifying benefits or tax credits. To make sure you continue to receive Healthy Start vouchers once your baby is born, you should:

• call us on 0300 330 7010
• apply for Child Tax Credits as soon as you can 
• inform Universal Credit by updating your online account
• reapply online and make a new claim

If you do not do this, your payment will stop 4 weeks after your baby’s due date. For more information see here.

Who can get free Healthy Start vitamins?

Women can have Healthy Start vitamin tablets while they’re pregnant and up to their baby’s 1st birthday. Children can have free Healthy Start vitamin drops from the age of 4 weeks until their 4th birthday. Children who are having 500ml or more of formula a day do not need Healthy Start vitamins.

Why you should get your free Healthy Start vitamins?

Young children may not get enough vitamin A and D even if they’re eating well. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you may not get enough vitamin C, vitamin D or folic acid.

Get these important vitamins for free by using your NHS Healthy Start card. You can get NHS Healthy Start women’s tablets and children’s drops.

They do not contain milk, egg, gluten, soya or peanut residues. They’re suitable for vegetarians and halal diets.

You can get the vitamin tablets while you are pregnant and up to your baby’s first birthday.

They contain:

• folic acid which lowers the chance of babies having spinal problems
• vitamin C which helps the body’s soft tissue
• vitamin D which helps babies’ bones to develop properly

Children can take vitamin drops if they:

• are less than 4 years old
• have less than 500ml (about one pint) of infant formula a day, as formula already has vitamins added to it

Healthy Start vitamins come as an 8-week supply of:

• 56 tablets (a daily dose of 1 tablet)
• 280 drops (a daily dose of 5 drops)

You or your children should not take more than the recommended amount.

How to get free vitamins if you live in England?

Ask your midwife or health visitor where to get your free vitamins. Find out more here.