Ashton, Leigh and Wigan Primary Care Trust is making the money available to help pharmacies provide a wider range of services at a time and location convenient for patients.

Currently, a range of services to help people quit smoking, provide emergency hormonal treatment for people who have had unprotected sex and chlamydia screening can be provided by community pharmacies without a consultation room.

But, the PCT believes these services would be better delivered in a room separated from the main pharmacy area, offering privacy and improved facilities.

Linda Scott, deputy head of medicines management at the PCT, said: "This will allow the PCT to deliver services that bring healthcare much closer to home for our patients and, in particular, to promote self-care.

"Discussing matters such as unprotected sex and chlamydia involves talking about confidential information.
"People don't like to talk about these matters in an area where somebody else could hear." At present consultation rooms are only considered essential for commissioned services such as medicine-use reviews.

The PCT is considering several new enhanced services that could be provided from local community pharmacies – the first being a weight management service.

This service would need to be delivered within a consultation room providing privacy and adequate
facilities.

Glen Berry, director of health development at the PCT, said: "Access to a consultation room could make the difference to whether a person gets the advice and support that they need. For example, if a man or woman has unprotected sex and need to speak to someone they will want to be able to do that in private.
"These consultation rooms will give them that chance."

There are currently 67 community pharmacies across the borough and there have been 40 applications for consultation rooms which have been approved by the PCT.
Each pharmacy will receive a maximum of £10,000 for a consultation room facility.
Work on these are expected to be completed by the end of March.