Patients will soon have access to expert advice from a clinical pharmacist when they visit their GP thanks to a multi-million-pound government cash injection announced today.

NHS England has pledged £31m of funding for a pilot where clinical pharmacists are placed in GPs surgeries.

Eleven GP surgeries in Norwich and Great Yarmouth have successfully bid for funding for the scheme, and the recruitment of the pharmacists will start immediately.

Three of the surgeries are in Norwich, while the remaining eight are in the Great Yarmouth area.

It is hoped the pharmacists will be in place at the GP surgeries from spring next year. The pharmacists can provide extra advice on treatments, how to manage long-term conditions, and help those patients who use multiple medications.

In their bids surgeries had to show how having a clinical pharmacist in place would improve the patient-experience and reduce workload on GPs.

Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: 'Joint working between pharmacists and GPs has the potential to have major benefits for both patients and clinical professionals.

'We are taking another step forward to relieving some of the pressure that GPs are clearly under and ensuring patients see the health professional that best suits their needs.'

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, of the British Medical Association, added: 'It is a positive and important opportunity to relieve some of the unsustainable pressures faced by GPs up and down the country.'

Do you have a health story? Email nicholas.carding@archant.co.uk