Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

We offer tailored content specific to your area. Check below to find your local area.

Choose your location for articles and services where your live:

Minor ailments and illnesses

For all parents, it can be very worrying when your baby is unwell, even if they are suffering from something which turns out to be quite minor.

Talk to your GP or health visiting team if something doesn’t seem quite right to you – they are there to support you.

The minor ailment scheme

You do not always have to see your GP for minor ailments. Some pharmacies run what’s known as a minor ailment scheme for specific ailments, such as coughs and colds and diarrhoea and vomiting.

When pharmacies provide medicines as part of a minor ailment scheme, you get the medicines on the NHS. You will not pay a prescription charge for children under 16.

Not all pharmacies offer a minor ailment scheme, and the ailments covered by the scheme vary from area to area.

Scroll through the different ailments and illnesses below and click the titles for more information and support.

Useful links

Page last reviewed: 02-12-2024

Next review due: 02-12-2027