Fifty per cent of Britons believe pharmacists are “one of the people they would trust the most” to provide health advice, a survey from Superdrug has found.

The survey of 2,061 UK adults aged 16 to 85 also found that 71 per cent believe pharmacists “are highly trained and should be delivering several non-essential health services” such as flu jabs.

Meanwhile, 61 per cent of respondents said pharmacists should provide “essential health services”.

Factors that would make people consider going to a pharmacist before seeing their GP included speed of service, the fact it can take pressure off general practice, convenience of location and difficulties getting an appointment to see the GP. 

The survey found that 38 per cent of people believe their health condition has worsened due to the time spent waiting for a GP appointment, while 51 per cent have put off seeing their GP because they can’t get an appointment.

Seventy-five per cent of respondents agreed that the NHS is “overwhelmed” and that current levels of GP provision are “not enough,” meaning patients need more options.

Superdrug healthcare director Caris Newson said: “Our pharmacists have noticed an increase in requests for a number of health services. In response, we offer a wide range of treatment options, providing accessible support in-store and online, to help empower the public to take control of their health quickly and conveniently.”