The road to a self care strategy
Dr Graham Jackson, Chair, NHS Clinical Commissioners, explains how a shared passion for self care got us to this point. Encouraging [...]
The consumer healthcare industry supports self care
PAGB President, Neil Lister on the consumer healthcare industry's support for self care Self care is not ‘no care’. It [...]
Working together towards effective self care
Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, on the vision driving our self care strategy blueprint Effective healthcare calls [...]
Increased support for self-care has long been recognised as critical to creating capacity in the health system, and ensuring patients and the public are able to get the care they need.
This blueprint rightly highlights the importance and value community pharmacy adds to this work. Recent developments such as the Community Pharmacist Consultation Service are an important contribution, and I hope this blueprint supports this fledgling service.
Pharmacists have a vital role to play in supporting people to self-care by enhancing access, choice and information for those wanting to care for themselves or their families.
This strategy aims to integrate the promotion of everyday wellbeing and the management of self-treatable and long-term conditions into the wider health system. Making the best use of the Community Pharmacy Consultation Service is part of this and we’d like to see community pharmacists enabled to refer people directly to colleagues in the multidisciplinary team.
Providing pharmacists with the access needed to populate patient care records would have huge impact on many levels across the system and make care both more holistic and safer.
Self care is the single most important factor in good health and wellbeing for all citizens, and I am excited that community pharmacists have a vital role in enabling self care in their localities.
What’s more, with the importance of self care highlighted by the pandemic, there has never been a better time to embed self care into our health and care culture.
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