Transcript Public attitudes to self care

10 High Impact Actions to release time for care
Innovations from around England
that release time for GPs to do
more of what only they can do.
bit.ly/gpcapacityforum
#GPforwardview
Public attitudes towards self care
• every year there are an estimated 57 million GP
consultations and 3.7 million visits to A&E for self-treatable
conditions, costing the NHS an estimated £2.3 billion.
• As part of Self Care Week (15-20 November 2016), PAGB
commissioned a survey of the public's attitudes towards
self care. The findings provide food for thought, as well as
encouragement for practices and CCGs seeking to
stimulate greater self care locally.
• More information:
• www.pagb.co.uk/latest-news/report-self-care-nationself-care-attitudes-behaviours-uk/
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Public attitudes towards self care
Survey of 5,011 UK adults, asking about attitudes towards self care and managing selftreatable conditions, without the need for a visit to the GP or A&E
Key findings:
• if they understood their own NHS ‘footprint’, 80% would be more
likely to seek advice from pharmacists and use over-the-counter
remedies for coughs, colds and other self-treatable conditions.
• 92% acknowledge the importance of taking responsibility for their
own health in order to ease the financial burden on the NHS. And 60%
regard self care as more convenient.
• when made aware of the cost of self treatable conditions to the NHS,
nearly one third of those who qualify for free prescriptions (29%) said
they would be willing to purchase an OTC medicine for a self-treatable
condition.
• considering the NHS still spent more than £83 million on prescribing
22.6 million packs of paracetamol in 2014 , behaviour shifts like this
could have a significant impact on the future sustainability of our
healthcare system.
#GPforwardview
Public attitudes towards self care
Survey of 5,011 UK adults, asking about attitudes towards self care and
managing self-treatable conditions, without the need for a visit to the GP or A&E
Key findings:
• People need further encouragement and support to turn their
attitudes into behaviours:
• 34% visited a GP in the last year for a self-treatable
condition
• The survey identified specific attitudes and misconceptions
which can make it less likely that people will use self care:
• 18% believed pharmacists to be less well qualified to
advise on managing minor conditions
• 23% felt entitled to visit the GP to obtain a free
prescription.
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Public attitudes towards self care
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Tips for CCGs and practices
1. Ensure self care is a key part of your strategy for improving the
sustainability of services. Key messages likely to be important:
• Self care is a positive option to choose.
• Community pharmacies are easily accessible, open long hours
and staffed with highly trained professionals.
• During 2017, the summary care record is being rolled out to
community pharmacies, so, with patient consent, the pharmacist
will be able to know about existing conditions and medications.
This will allow them to provide an even more valuable service.
• The NHS belongs to us all, and we share responsibility for
making best use of its finite resources. General practices and
emergency departments are under tremendous pressure at the
moment. Using self care helps everyone.
• The NHS is still here for you. Self care is not “no care”.
2. Engage marketing expertise to increase the effectiveness of your
campaigns to raise awareness of self care options.
3. Develop patient and professional champions to spread self care
messages locally, including through the media.
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Tips for CCGs and practices
5. Commission sufficient capacity in community pharmacy minor
ailments schemes to ensure that they are accessible to
patients across all of your patch.
6. Work with local practices, schools, community and faith groups
to ensure the whole community is aware of the options for self
care.
7. Engage with local schools to teach primary aged children
about appropriate help-seeking behaviour, including for acute
self-limiting conditions.
8. Train GP receptionists in active signposting, so they can safely
and confidently recommend self care options where
appropriate.
9. Encourage clinicians to respectfully reinforce messages about
self care when consulting patients who could have used it
(targeted education at a relevant point like this is much more effective).
#GPforwardview
10 High Impact Actions
bit.ly/gpcapacityforum
Innovations from around England
that release time for GPs to do
more of what only they can do.
bit.ly/gpcapacityforum
#GPforwardview