Millions of GP consultations and hospital visits are for minor ailments such as coughs and colds and are an ‘unnecessary’ burden on the health service, council chiefs warn.
New figures show minor conditions and illnesses are responsible for approximately 57 million GP consultations and 3.7 million A&E admissions every year, costing the NHS more than £2bn.
The figures reveal that 5.2 million GP consultations are for blocked noses, 40,000 for dandruff, and 20,000 for travel sickness. They also showed the 3.7 million A&E admissions were for self-treatable conditions, such as sprains and insect bites.
The Local Government Association (LGA) has launched a new report which calls for ‘a new culture of care’ which improves ‘health literacy’ and encourages people to look after themselves.
‘We need a new culture of care, where people stop and think before calling the doctor,’ the chairman of the LGA's community wellbeing board, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, said.
‘GPs and A&E departments are already overstretched. However, many appointments are unnecessary and for minor conditions that a person could treat or manage themselves.
‘But patients need to be helped in learning how to look after themselves, for example in managing long-term conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, and GPs can play a key role in this.’
Cllr Seccombe said many patients want to be involved in their own care ‘as it gives them a greater sense of control and improves their quality of life.’
‘Rather than an add-on, self-care should be a central part of how we care for patients, which is something councils up and down the country are actively promoting,’ she added.
