PAGB is calling for a national strategy for self care to become a critical part of NHS long term plans, in order to ensure a sustainable future for our health and care system, which has recently celebrated its 70th Birthday.
The announcement of a new financial settlement for the NHS at an average 3.4% over the next five years should be welcomed, however an additional efficiency saving of at least 1.1% a year will be needed to meet the rising demand from the growing and ageing population.
PAGB believes the NHS needs more than just a cash injection to deal with pressures on services that are exacerbated by a perfect storm of rising demand and workforce shortages.[1]
John Smith, PAGB, Chief Executive, said:
“The Prime Minister has signalled that the new financial settlement for the NHS must be accompanied by a new long-term vision for the health and care system in England, focused on further integrating services, strengthening accountability, and empowering people to take more responsibility for their own health. It is critical that this vision addresses the increasing pressure on services, reduces wasteful practices and shifts the entire system towards a greater focus on preventative and holistic self care.”
PAGB is calling for the development and implementation of a national strategy for self care to create a culture of self care, where people feel empowered to look after their health and wellbeing.
John Smith continued:
“There are three key objectives a national strategy for self care must deliver; enhanced self care; improved health literacy and a realisation of the potential role of pharmacists. We have identified a number of policies that could make a real difference:
- Empowering pharmacists to write in patient records
- Supporting GPs to encourage self care with recommendation prescriptions
- Enabling NHS 111 to refer more people to pharmacies for advice
- Training healthcare professionals to support people to self care
To have the greatest impact, self care policies need to be coordinated across the system and that is why we need a national strategy as a priority.”
The PAGB recommendations are set out in ‘A long-term vision for self care: interim white paper’, which has been developed to inform discussions on the new NHS long-term plan and recommends policies that will unlock the potential of self care.
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To receive a full copy of the white paper, or for further information please contact: Lauren Walker or Maria Boiling on 01273 712000 / PAGB@thisispegasus.co.uk
PAGB defines Self Care as the actions people take for themselves and their families to promote and maintain good health and wellbeing and to take care of their self-treatable conditions.
PAGB (Proprietary Association of Great Britain) is the UK trade association representing manufacturers of branded over-the-counter medicines, self care medical devices and food supplements. www.pagb.co.uk
