Self Care

Introduction

The Self-Care Forum website provides information about the positive aspects of Self Care within GP Practices including self care fact sheets for patients, link to the RCGP e-learning course on self care and top tips for GP practices.

The ICB website also has a section on Self-care which patients can be directed to: Self-care - NHS BNSSG ICB.

Training

‘Think self care for life’ is an easy to use e-learning package aimed at helping GPs, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals to help them incorporate self care messages in their consultations.

Lifestyle Prescriptions

The Medicines Optimisation Team has developed some resources to help people take responsibility for their health through lifestyle changes. It is hoped that this will achieve the triple benefit of:

• Empowering patients to self-care and reduce reliance on medications
• Increasing GP capacity by reducing the need for repeat appointments
• Reducing the amount of money spent on medications

The first two leaflets that have been developed are:

• Mental Wellbeing Leaflet
• Gut health Leaflet

If you would like any further information please contact BNSSG ICB, Medicines Optimisation Team: bnssg.medicines-optimisation@nhs.net

Pharmacy First

NHS England » Launch of NHS Pharmacy First advanced service

BNSSG ICB is encouraging local people to visit their ‘pharmacy first’ for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, hay fever and indigestion.

A fifth of GP appointments are taken up by these minor illnesses which could be better dealt with in other settings, such as pharmacies or by the individual caring for themselves.

The ICB has developed a range of materials to inform the public about the changes to prescribing locally and nationally, and to encourage them to visit their ‘pharmacy first’.

The ICB will be supporting this campaign over the next 12 months with ongoing materials that are relevant for the time of year as well as social media giving advice on self-care.

If you have any questions or for support using the campaign materials, please contact bnssg.communications@nhs.net

Medicines for Self Care

The BNSSG ICB medicines team has developed Self-care Guidance for Prescribers to support GPs and non-medical prescribers (NMP) in advising patients to self-care for minor ailments (and therefore purchase medicines for themselves), while ensuring that any drugs recommended for purchase are done so within the bounds of their Marketing Authorisation, in terms of the conditions for which they are licensed, age and other patient factors, co-morbidities, drug interactions and duration of use.

NHS England have produced an information leaflet for sharing with patients, detailing how prescribing of over the counter medicines is changing, available here: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/1a-over-the-counter-leaflet-v1.pdf

Self Care Apps

Please note the BNSSG ICB contract with ORCHA has now finished.

Useful Self Care Apps include:

HANDi App - offers advice and support to parents and carers if children have symptoms of common childhood illnesses.

GetUbetter App - offers a day by day recovery guide for patients with new or recurring back pain.

CONfidence App - Free self-help app for bladder or bowel leakage

DistrACT App - reliable information for young people in order for them to make the right choices about their health and emotional wellbeing.

ESC Student Health App - health guide for young adults who want to look after themselves and use medical services wisely

Eating Disorder Support - launched by Bristol Health Partners’ Eating Disorders Health Integration Team (ED HIT)

Self Care Resources

The BNSSG ICB website has information for patients on self care resources:

Health Services - Links to advice on accessing the appropriate care.

Information on Winter illness for patients and medicine cabinet: How to treat common winter illnesses - NHS BNSSG ICB

TARGET leaflets on antibiotics to discuss with patients on minor illnesses: https://elearning.rcgp.org.uk/mod/book/view.php?id=12647

The Well Aware website provides information on a wide range of organisations; support groups, community groups, events and activities that can help improve your health and wellbeing in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. They also have a free phone help line: call 0808 808 5252 or write to Information Services at The Care Forum, The Vassall Centre, Gill Avenue, Fishponds, Bristol BS16 2QQ.

Also see the One You South Gloucestershire page of Remedy - a healthy lifestyles and wellbeing service for adults.

Mental Health Self-help

Please see the highly recommended Mental Health Self-help guides

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.