Paul Bennett, Chief Executive, RPS

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

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Dr Graham Jackson, Chair, NHS Clinical Commissioners

(extract from Foreword) Our suggested strategy aims to support a wholesale cultural shift, both in the public’s perception of health and wellbeing, and healthcare professionals perceptions of the role they can play to create change.

We hope this proposed strategy is a useful first step in pursuing a holistic, system-wide approach to self care and look forward to working with the Government and stakeholders set out in the blueprint strategy to facilitate the change now needed to achieve this.

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Stephen Goundrey-Smith MRPharmS FFCI

RPS Digital Pharmacy Expert Advisory Group

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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Neil Lister, former PAGB President

Empowering more people to self care is a key priority for the consumer healthcare industry and I look forward to working with our partners, and with Government and NHS policy makers to facilitate a move towards a holistic, system-wide approach to self care.

Neil Lister is the former President of PAGB, the consumer healthcare association and Vice President International and Managing Director UK and Ireland at Perrigo plc.

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Michelle Riddalls, PAGB CEO

Self-care is a vital part of our health system. It has the potential to reduce health inequalities, improve outcomes and protect NHS resources for those who need them most.

However, too often it goes unrecognised by policymakers.

A national self-care strategy, as envisaged in this blueprint drawn up by a broad range of healthcare and pharmacy organisations, would bring significant benefits for individuals as well as on the NHS as a whole.

We look forward to working further with stakeholders and the Government towards this goal.

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Malcolm Harrison, Chief Executive, CCA

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.

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Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP

Self-care is a valuable life skill which makes a real and positive difference to the way people are able to navigate common minor health problems. The pandemic, and the pressures on the NHS which persist as a result, have highlighted the need for all of us to understand when and how self-care is appropriate.

There is a clear desire among the public to practise self-care in order to help themselves and relieve pressure on the NHS – but they need to feel able and supported to self care when that’s the best option for them.

We need to empower individuals to recognise and manage self-treatable symptoms quickly and effectively, with advice from a pharmacist where necessary but without the need for a GP consultation.

Embedding the role of the pharmacist as a key and integral part of the primary healthcare team can empower patients and make the best use of the invaluable skills of our community pharmacy colleagues. This blueprint for a national self care strategy recognises the urgent need to make the best use of the resources available to us by incorporating an enhanced role for pharmacists.

I very much hope the blueprint will attract the support it deserves across the NHS and beyond, and that those projects already operating to support and encourage self-care can serve as inspiration for a more systematic approach.

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Jonathan Ashworth MP, Former Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Jonathan Ashworth provided a video message in support of the blueprint for a self-care strategy.

Watch video (you tube)

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