Increasing the use of self-care and the easy-to-access expertise of high street pharmacies could save the NHS £1.7 billion a year

As winter approaches, healthcare experts are urging the public to support the NHS by embracing self-care and turning to pharmacies for minor ailments and injuries to help ease the strain on the healthcare system.

New research from PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, has revealed that nearly a quarter of Brits still don’t consider self-care as a first option for easy-to-treat conditions.

The research found that many younger adults lack the confidence in self-care that older adults possess.

About 23 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 admitted they would seek a GP appointment for minor ailment or injury they could treat themselves, compared to just nine per cent of those aged 65 or older.

For common conditions, 56 per cent visit their GP for a UTI, 27 per cent for thrush, 20 per cent for acne and 20 per cent for conjunctivitis.

Michelle Riddalls, CEO of PAGB, emphasised that while awareness of the benefits of self-care, for both consumers and the health service, has increased as a result of educational outreach and activities such as Self-Care Week (18th-24th November 2024), there is still significant room for improvement.

The PAGB data shows that only 18 per cent of people could recall seeing a news story or campaign promoting self-care in the previous year, though this rises to 29per cent for young adults (ages 18-24).

Interestingly, 72 per cent of respondents said they were more likely to self-care after seeing news coverage or campaigns, with this number rising to 79 per cent among the youngest demographic.

“The findings prove the power of awareness campaigns to deliver real change,” Riddalls noted.

With many struggling to access GP services, long wait times and corridor care now becoming the norm in A&E departments, she stressed the urgent need to focus on increasing awareness about self-care.

Research by Frontier Economics, commissioned by PAGB, has estimated that increased use of self-care and the easy-to-access expertise of high street pharmacies could save the NHS at least £1.7 billion a year in avoidable appointments and prescription costs.

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