RCGP Calls For More Support For Self Care Initiatives, UK

Main Category: Primary Care / General Practice
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 11 May 2006 - 0:00 PDT

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Patients with long term conditions and minor illnesses should have greater independence and be better equipped to look after themselves if general practice is to work at its most efficient level.

This is the message from the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) conference Self Care for People with Long Term Conditions in London today.

The College feels that health and care services still do not support people sufficiently to understand and take control of their conditions.

Speaking to an audience of GPs, Practice Nurses and Nurses Practitioners, Professor Nigel Sparrow, RCGP Vice-Chair said: "We welcome the Government push for self care and see its true potential for both transforming the health service and making a dramatic difference to the care of patients."

Professor Sparrow added: "Self care needs to be a real choice for patients. Too often treatment for long term conditions leads to a long term dependence on GPs time and NHS resources.

"People with long term conditions want to live as normal a life as possible and have greater confidence in dealing with their condition. In many cases GPs and their teams have been using self care initiatives for years and they are a key part of training programmes for general practice."

Professor Mayur Lakhani, RCGP Chairman who chaired the afternoon session said:

"The real issue is that we are not strong on health literacy in the UK. We need a step change in policy. As a practising GP I am also worried about the rich-poor divide in self care - there is potential for self care to reduce health inequalities."

Public consultation on the White Paper: Our Health, Our Care, Our Say showed that patients want more self care support.

The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. It aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and to act as the "voice" of GPs on issues concerned with education; training; research; and clinical standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 24,000 members who are committed to improving patient care, developing their own skills and promoting general practice as a discipline.

http://www.rcgp.org.uk

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