At the end of last week, the Self-Care Strategy Group shared a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and the authors of the 10-Year Health Plan urging them to ensure that self-care is clearly recognised and underpinned by concrete policies within the Plan.
The Self-Care Strategy Group (SCSG), for which PAGB provides the secretariat, is comprised of leading pharmacy groups, professional organisations, trade associations and charities committed to self-care that stand ready to support the Government in implementing further policies which fully capitalise on the benefits of self-care.
The letter highlights the proven role that self-care has when integrated into the healthcare system and the SCSG make the case that self-care must be recognised and supported within the 10-Year Health Plan as a core component of future health policy.
Critically the letter sets out how self-care can support with delivering the Government’s three key shifts to reform the health system:
- Self-care is central to supporting the Government’s ambition for a more prevention-focused system, by promoting early intervention and improving health and wellbeing.
- Self-care also supports the ambition to deliver more care closer to home by enabling individuals to manage minor ailments and long-term conditions, including with the support of community services, and expanding the role of pharmacy is key to this.
- Digital tools have the potential to significantly enhance access to trusted self-care advice, thereby maximising the benefits of self-care.
The SCSG also share recommendations on how the Plan can embed the central role of self-care through policies that reflect its vital role in achieving the ultimate goals outlined in the Plan.
The full letter can be read here.
