We’re Self Care Aware
What is self care?
Self-care means taking care of yourself in a healthy way. It includes things like brushing your teeth, exercising, managing common problems (like headaches, colds, and flu), or living with a long-term health issue, such as asthma or diabetes.
As a Self Care Aware practice, we want to help you take care of your own health when it’s right for you. When you come in to see one of us, the doctors, nurses, and healthcare assistants will talk to you about what you can do to maintain and improve your health.
Find out more about self care
If you need more information on how you can self care at home,
Did you know?
- While free at the point of use, the NHS belongs to all of us – help us to keep it working smoothly by not missing appointments
- On average
- Every time you see a GP it costs the NHS £56 for an average 10-minute consultation.
- A visit to an urgent care for minor issues costs the NHS £91.
- The cost of going to Accident and Emergency range from £137 to £445. [Source: Kings’ Fund]
Self care for healthy living
Staying healthy is important for everyone, even if you are living with a long-term condition. This means eating healthily, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and drinking in moderation. If you are not sure what changes you can make to help improve your health,
Quit smoking
Lose weight
Get active
Drink less
Take care of your mind
Every Mind Matters has lots of expert advice and practical tips to help you stay on top of your mental wellbeing.
Find out more about self care for healthy living
Self care for common conditions
Did you know that one in five GP visits are for common conditions, such as backache, headache or cough?
For most people, they are not serious health problem – you just want to know how to relieve it and you want a treatment that acts fast. You also want to know how long you’re going to suffer or what you should do if your symptoms change.
The good news is that self care can help you manage most of these problems. It may mean you don’t have to spend time waiting to see your GP but can get on and start tackling your symptoms. Self care for common conditions can also help free up some of your GP’s time, making it easier to get an appointment when you have a more serious condition.
Non-urgent advice: Self care for long-term conditions
Living with a long-term condition brings challenges and it’s important to have the confidence, support and information to manage your health. Self care can help you make the most of living with your condition, rather than avoiding or missing out on things because of it. Self care puts you in control.
Research shows that people with long-term conditions who take more control of their health feel more able to cope with their health problem, have better pain management, fewer flare ups and more energy.
We are committed to helping you live your life with a long-term condition.
That’s why we run services where you can get advice on the following conditions:
Asthma
Diabetes
Chronic conditions
We will also work in partnership with you to create the right care plan for your needs. It’s important to think about what you want from a care plan – it can help if you know what you want to discuss with your GP. Feel free to ask us about:
Where can I find out about self help courses for people who have long-term conditions?
I want to find out more about my condition. What are the best places to do this?
Is there any new equipment that might help me manage day-to-day. If so, how do I get it?
How do I meet other people who have the same condition as me? Is there a local or national support group?
Are there any lifestyle changes I should make to help my health, such as giving up smoking, avoiding certain foods, or doing more of a certain type of exercise?
What are the results of my tests and what do they mean for me?
What happens next?
What can I do?
What can the doctor do?
Find out more about self care for long-term conditions
There is a range of free courses and support groups aimed at helping people who are living with a long-term condition to manage their condition better on a daily basis:
- Expert Patients Programme
- DAFNE (Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating) and DESMOND (Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed) for people with diabetes
- Asthma and Lung UK has details of groups locally for people with asthma and other lung conditions.
- These courses usually run over several sessions and will provide advice and tools to put you in control of your condition. Ask your GP or the receptionist for details of courses in this area.