This is the most up to date information we have: it contains changes to the details first posted on this site on 13th June.

Details of the venues and times are arranged by region:

Prescription Charge Rises to £7.40 (04/03/11)

The Minister of State for Health, Simon Burns has confirmed an increase of 20 pence to the NHS prescription charge to £7.40 per prescription item. This change will come into effect from the 1st April 2011.

The cost of a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) will rise to £29.10 for a three month certificate. The cost of the annual certificate will remain at £104. PPCs offer savings for those needing four or more items in three months or more than 14 items in one year.

Co Durham & Darlington pilot a new NHS 111 telephone number

If you live in County Durham or Darlington, you can now call 111 when you need help fast, but it isn't a 999 emergency. You can ring 111, 365 days a year, to reach a full range of local health services, including out of hours doctors, community nurses, emergency dental care and late opening pharmacies. Calls from landlines and mobile phones are free - just like 999.

People should use the NHS 111 service if they need help or advice urgently but it's not a life-threatening situation. Call 111 if:

Make use of your local pharmacist

Gone are the days when the white-coated pharmacist stayed in the back of the shop counting out pills and checking medicine bottles.

Nowadays, although pharmacists still carry out their core business of making up prescriptions, they are also kept busy providing expert advice to their customers.

Newton Aycliffe pharmacist Rob Pitt reckons he talks to between 40 and 50 people every day, sometimes over the counter and sometimes for a more confidential chat in a private part of the shop.

“ If someone has tried self treatment for a condition, for example, a sniffley nose in winter, and they are still not happy with it, they can come to us. When I can help with treatment, I will or I might advise people to go to their GP or signpost them to other places they can get help.

`’Usually we are not restricted by appointments and some pharmacies are open at least six days a week. So people can drop in at a time that’s convenient to them and get one to one advice for minor ailments like coughs, headaches or diarrhoea. Or they can phone us if they prefer.”

Most people have a pharmacy close to their homes – in fact nationally, 96% of the population have a shop within 20 minutes of where they live. And often people find they can talk more freely in an informal chat with their pharmacist, who is a highly skilled health professional with at least five years training and practical experience.