Somerset residents can no longer go to their GP to get medicine for sore throats, sunburn, dandruff or other minor ailments.

The NHS has made changes to the kinds of drugs you can be prescribed by your doctor, in a bid to move resources to where they are most needed.

Where over the counter medication is available from pharmacies and other such sources, the NHS will no longer prescribe the same medication for a range of "self-limiting" or "minor" conditions.

The Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) – which decides how health spending is allocated across the county – has said it is following national guidelines on the matter.

Between June 2016 and June 2017, the NHS spent £569M on prescriptions for medicine which could otherwise be obtained over the counter from pharmacies, supermarkets or even petrol stations.

According to NHS England, the cost of obtaining and then prescribing these medications can be many times higher than the cost of an individual purchasing them over the counter.

For example, while a pharmacy could sell a pack of 12 anti-sickness tablets at £2.18, the exact same treatment will cost more than £3 on the NHS when dispensing fees are included – and more than £35 when the cost of a GP appointment and other administration are taken into account.

NHS England believes the money saved by not prescribing certain medicines on the NHS will free up both doctors' time and resources for other medical concerns.

A spokesman said: "Research shows that in many cases, people can take care of their minor conditions if they are provided with the right information, thereby releasing healthcare professionals to focus on patients with more complex and/or serious health concerns.

"A more cost-effective use of stretched NHS resources allows money to be spent where it is most needed, while improving patient outcomes."

Following consulting in mid-2017, a full list was drawn up by NHS England and issued as guidance for the numerous CCGs across the country.

There was no hard deadline for when the changes should be adopted – meaning some parts of the country have only recently seen any changes.

NHS England claims up to £136M could be saved in this way, with the Somerset CCG confirming it had spent £6M on these prescriptions in 2016.

According to NHS England, every £1M saved on prescriptions for over the counter treatments could fund 39 more community nurses, 66 breast cancer drug treatment courses, 270 hip replacements, or 1,040 cataract operations.

These are all the conditions you can no longer get prescriptions for on the NHS in Somerset:

Acute sore throat

Infrequent cold sores on one's lips

Conjunctivitis

Coughs, colds and nasal congestion

Cradle cap (a.k.a. seborrhoeic dermatitis)

Haemorrhoids

Infant colic

Mild cystitis

Mild irritant dermatitis

Dandruff

Diarrhoea (in adults)

Dry, sore or tired eyes

Earwax

Excess sweating (a.k.a. hyperhidrosis)

Head lice

Indigestion or heartburn

Infrequent migraine

Infrequent constipation

Insect bites and stings

Mild acne

Mild dry skin

Probiotics and vitamins

Sunburn (due to excessive sun exposure)

Mild to moderate hay fever (including seasonal rhinitis)

Minor burns and scalds

Minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort or fever (e.g. back pain, headache, period pain and springs)

Mouth ulcers

Nappy rash

Oral thrush

Dental caries (and prevention thereof)

Ringworm and athletes' foot

Teething or mild toothache

Thread worms

Travel sickness

Warts and verrucae

Somerset CCG has said the proposals were extensively consulted upon before the national guidance was published.

A spokesman said: "We are following national guidance from NHS England.

"No cost savings have been identified and no further official public consultation is taking place."