Common Ailments Treherbert NHS Service

Free NHS Common Ailments Service in Treherbert

Treherbert Pharmacy provides free NHS consultations, advice and treatment for 27 defined minor illnesses through the NHS Wales Common Ailments Service, sometimes called the Common Ailments Scheme.

You can book directly without a GP referral. A pharmacist will assess your symptoms in a private consultation room and explain whether advice, NHS treatment or another healthcare service is the safest next step.

Book an NHS common ailments consultation

The service is free when the condition and patient meet the NHS criteria. You can also call 01443 776133 or use the general booking page.

Who can use the Common Ailments Service?

The national service is available to anyone who will remain in Wales for at least 24 hours after using it.

• Condition-specific criteria apply. Age limits, pregnancy or breastfeeding considerations and other clinical exclusions vary by condition.
• No GP referral is required. You can book directly with Treherbert Pharmacy.
• Treatment is not guaranteed. Some conditions are managed with advice only, while others may be unsuitable for the service after assessment.

Which common ailments are covered?

The NHS Wales service covers 27 agreed conditions. Select a condition below to read Treherbert Pharmacy’s patient guide.

• Acne vulgaris
• Allergic rhinitis and hay fever
• Athlete’s foot
• Acute lower back pain
• Chickenpox in children
• Cold sores
• Infantile colic
• Bacterial conjunctivitis
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Dry eye disease
• Dry skin and eczema
• Dyspepsia and indigestion
• Haemorrhoids and piles
• Head lice
• Ingrowing toenail
• Mouth ulcers
• Nappy rash
• Oral thrush
• Ringworm and intertrigo
• Scabies
• Sore throat
• Teething
• Threadworms
• Urinary tract infection
• Vaginal thrush
• Warts and verrucae

Important service limits

• Eye symptoms: NHS Wales guidance advises patients with eye conditions to see a Wales General Ophthalmic Services registered optometrist first.
• Symptoms outside the 27 conditions: The pharmacist can still advise, but NHS treatment cannot be supplied through the Common Ailments Service. A different NHS route may be more appropriate.

What happens during the appointment?

1. 1

   Book directly

   Book online or call the pharmacy. The team may direct you to a more specific NHS appointment where appropriate.

2. 2

   Clinical assessment

   The pharmacist will discuss the symptoms, medical history, allergies, current medicines and any warning signs. An examination may be needed.

3. 3

   Advice, treatment or referral

   You may receive self-care advice, NHS treatment where suitable, or referral to another healthcare service. Medicine is only supplied when the service criteria are met.

4. 4

   Safety-netting

   You will be told what to expect, how to use any treatment and when to seek further help if symptoms persist, worsen or change.

Before your common ailments appointment

Please be ready to explain when the symptoms started, how they have changed and what treatment has already been tried.

• Bring or know the names and doses of regular medicines.
• Tell the pharmacist about medicine allergies, pregnancy or breastfeeding where relevant.
• Mention any recent consultation, test result or treatment for the same problem.

Are antibiotics available through the service?

Only for specific clinical pathways. Eligible patients with a sore throat or an uncomplicated lower urinary tract infection may be offered an antibiotic when the assessment and NHS criteria indicate that it is appropriate.

The Common Ailments Service is not a general antibiotic service. Most conditions do not need antibiotics, and no medicine is supplied unless it is clinically suitable and permitted by the relevant pathway.

For acute symptoms that fall outside CAS but may be suitable for pharmacist prescribing, read about our NHS independent prescribing pharmacist service.

Do not book this service for a medical emergency

Call 999 for a life-threatening emergency, including severe breathing difficulty, severe chest pain, signs of a stroke, a severe allergic reaction, heavy bleeding, sudden confusion or collapse.

For urgent medical advice when it is not life-threatening, contact NHS 111 Wales. The Common Ailments Service cannot replace emergency or urgent-care assessment.

Book an NHS common ailments consultation

Arrange a confidential assessment at Treherbert Pharmacy. Advice or treatment will be provided according to the condition-specific NHS criteria.

Book an NHS common ailments consultation

You can also call 01443 776133.

Places served

Treherbert Pharmacy provides this NHS service for eligible patients from Treherbert and nearby upper Rhondda communities.

• Treherbert
• Blaenrhondda
• Blaencwm
• Ynyswen
• Treorchy
• Cwmparc
• Penyrenglyn
• Ton Pentre
• Rhondda
• RCT

Related NHS pharmacy services

These routes may be more appropriate depending on the symptoms and type of assessment required.

• NHS independent prescribingA broader NHS assessment route for eligible acute symptoms outside the Common Ailments Service.
• Sore throat test and treatA dedicated NHS assessment route for eligible sore throat and tonsillitis symptoms.
• Morning-after pillConfidential NHS emergency contraception advice and assessment at the pharmacy.
• Treherbert Pharmacy NHS servicesView the wider range of NHS pharmacy services available locally.

Official patient information: Welsh Medicines Advice Service Common Ailments Service.

Contact Treherbert Pharmacy

Page information

Written by: Jonathan James, Independent Prescribing Pharmacist, GPhC number 2066318

Clinically reviewed by: Thomas Harries, Superintendent Pharmacist, GPhC number 2210031

Published: 01/11/2023

Last reviewed: 17/06/2026