Call for action on self-care

The MHF has welcomed the publication of the report of the 12th Annual Self Care Conference held earlier this month entitled Behavioural change for better health, better care and better services.

MHF president Dr Ian Banks, who was facilitator of the conference closed the proceedings. 'The debate is now over,' he said, 'and the time has come to stimulate action towards greater self-care. We have to empower people along the right roads.

Engaged delegates of patient advocates, NHS employees such as doctors, nurses, SHA and PCT representatives as well as representatives of the Department of Health and Treasury heard several speakers including Care Services minister, Paul Burstow who emphasised the need for a self-care movement and a switch of the focus away from what people can’t do for themselves to what they can do to help them to take more control of and responsibility for their health and well being.

The meeting was organised by the of the PAGB, RCGP, RCN and the National Association for Patient Participation. PAGB public affairs officer Libby Whittaker said: 'It is heartening to know there are so many people who are self-care advocates and we hope delegates have gone back to their day to day working environment and shared the knowledge and information learnt during the day with others in the hope of progressing greater self care.'

• Download the report: Behavioural change for better health, better care and better services
• For more info and to watch the video

Quotes from the report

• Stephanie Varah, CEO, National Association for Patient Participation: 'We need people to understand that the self-care message is not about telling you not to access your GP, it is about why it is important to look after yourself and how to help the NHS help you.'
• MHF trustee Gopa Mitra, director of health policy and public affairs, PAGB: 'We’re going forward towards a dialogue between professional, patient and the public, that is an adult to adult conversation.'
• Lynn Young, primary care advisor, Royal College of Nursing: 'We need to inspire people to live differently, and the only good reform is the one that promotes self-care and looking after yourself…Time spent on self-care is time saved further down the line.'
• Sue Summers, assistant director of quality assurance and self-care, NHS North West Strategic Health Authority: 'Education of GPs is critical if we’re going to have behavioural change - this is about a movement.'
• Dr Beth McCarron-Nash, UK General Practice Committee (GPC) negotiator at the BMA: 'Shared care is the way of the future, and this not only means that patients must have the right skills - GPs also need to change their behaviour.'