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Self-care in the UK

Dr Peter Smith OBE MBChB

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The UK features prominently in the history of self-care. This list reflects the wide range of involvement of stakeholders, from the overarching organisation, the Self Care Forum, through the first academic self-care research organisation, SCARU to government with its 2005 research and Self Care Strategy.. The Proprietary Association of Great Britain (PAGB), features heavily, having been been responsible for enquiries into self-care behaviours since the 1980s.

Link to paper

Department of Health 2005 Public attitudes to self-care baseline survey

UK Department of Health

The Department of Health surveyed 3,000 people with a face to face interview to produce the first major investigation into public attitudes to self care. it underpinned the 2005 self care strategy. The results were published and are available online, but were not peer-reviewed.

Department of Health (2005) Public Attitudes to Self Care: Baseline Survey London: Department of Health.

Link to paper

How has COVID-19 changed healthcare professionals’ attitudes to selfcare? A mixed methods research study.

Smith PS, Alaa A, Riboli Sasco E,

How has COVID-19 changed healthcare professionals’ attitudes to selfcare? A mixed methods research study.

Smith PS, Alaa A, Riboli Sasco E, Bagkeris E, El-Osta A (2023) How has COVID-19 changed healthcare professionals’ attitudes to selfcare? A mixed methods research study. PLoS ONE

Link to paper

Self Care - A Real Choice; Self Care Support - A Practical Option

UK Department of Health

First UK NHS Self-care strategy

UK DoH (2005) Self care - a real choice; self care support - a practical option

Link to paper

NHS Five Year Forward View. 2014

NHS England

Chapter 2 of the 5 Year Forward View featured extensive plans for supported self-care. The document revisited the assumptions and predictions made int eh Wanless Report of 2002.

NHS England. Five Year Forward View. 2014

Link to paper

UK Treasury. Wanless Report 2002: Securing our Future Health:
Taking a Long-Term View

Derek Wanless

In 2002, Derek Wanless that the NHS would be in a parlous state by 2022 if his Scenario 3, in which people were 'fully engaged' with their health was not achieved. Self-care was at the heart of this, as stated repeatedly by Wanless. This is the reason why the 5 Year Forward View majored on self-care

Wanless D. Securing our Future Health:
Taking a Long-Term View. 2002

Link to paper

Everyday Self Care 1986 & 1997

PAGB

This was one of the earliest attempts to analyse self-care behaviours. We have a copy of it, but it is not yet on a website to provide a reference.

We have the document and will provide a link to it soon.

Link to paper

Making the case for the self care of minor ailments 2009

PAGB

A wide ranging review of evidence to date

PAGB. Making the case for the self care of minor ailments 2009

Link to paper

The Self-Care Matrix: A unifying framework for self-care.

El-Osta A, Webber D, Gnani, S, Banarsee, R, Mummery D, Majeed A, Smith, P S

A unifying self-care matrix

El-Osta A, Webber D, Gnani, S, Banarsee, R, Mummery D, Majeed A, Smith, P S. The Self-Care Matrix: A unifying framework for self-care. SelfCare 2019;10(3):38-56

Link to paper

Reducing antibiotic use in general practice by prescribing self-care

Smith et al

A practice concerned with AMS reduced its prescribing of antibiotics by prescribing self-care, based on NICE guidance.

P. SMITH, K. MCQUATTIE, K. HOGG SelfCare 2014;5(5):110-114
REDUCING ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING FOR SELF-LIMITING
RESPIRATORY TRACT INFECTIONS IN PRIMARY CARE:
A PILOT STUDY

Link to paper

Self-care nation

PAGB

A PAGB review

Ref 1

Link to paper

Take care of yourself - and the NHS

PAGB

A 2023 paper feeding into a stakeholders'' Self-Care Strategy.

Take care of yourself - and the NHS. PAGB 2023

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