The government has launched a new 'Better Health' campaign to help people working towards healthier weight and reduce the risk of being hospitalised with Covid-19.
The campaign launched in partnership with 15 weight management and physical activity partners will provide both free and discounted offers for weight management.
Public health minister Maggie Throup said the campaign will focus on improving adults' health and help them to achieve a healthier weight.
It will also include focus on the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and up to 12 types of cancer, to reducing the probability of hospitalisation with Covid-19.
Besides highlighting these health conditions, the campaign will emphasise how these could be prevented by losing excess weight.
A new report published today (June 29) by the think tank Policy Exchange highlights key role for community pharmacy in management of primary-secondary care
interface.
The report called Medical Evolution has received cross-party support. It says an equivalent of 15 million GP appointments per year are spent dealing with issues
managing care between GP practices and hospitals.
Research from the think tank also finds 150,000 people could be on 'hidden' waiting lists (where a patient has been referred by a GP for further treatment, but
not included on official hospital waiting lists).
On the eve of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, the report calls for the development of 'interface specialists' - which could be undertaken by doctors, nurses or
community pharmacists to enable them to work more routinely across settings and to strategically plan interface working.
Diabetes affects over 537 million people worldwide; by 2045, this is estimated to increase to 783 million. [1] With the growing prevalence of diabetes,
it's even more important to utilise all options to support people with diabetes (PwDs) in managing their daily life with diabetes.
Where do PwDs most often access healthcare support? On average, PwDs visit the pharmacy three-to-eight times more than the general population to obtain medicines
and testing supplies.[2] It is clear that pharmacists play an integral role in empowering the self-management needs of PwDs beyond the traditional role of
supplying medicines. This relationship, however, may be underutilised.
Research suggests there is a lack of broad recognition of pharmacists as a key source of diabetes care, and that resource constraints - particularly following
the COVID-19 pandemic - can interfere with patient education provision and training.[3,4] Furthermore, the circumstances and role of the pharmacy vary, nationally
and internationally. At Roche Diabetes Care we would like to shine a light on the increasing value of community pharmacists as important figures in the well-being
of PwDs.
Acknowledging the ongoing challenges in delivering the required IT systems for the scheduled launch of the Pharmacy First service on January 31, NHS England
reported progress in fulfilling 'many' commitments outlined in its plan to enhance primary care access during a board meeting on Thursday.
However, it noted that the digital infrastructure supporting Pharmacy First, included in the £645 million fresh funding for community pharmacy, will require additional time for implementation.
"Delivery remains challenging due to changes needed in digital infrastructure, and we are working with suppliers to support January implementation," NHSE said.
"A public campaign is planned for 2024."
The Pharmacy First service allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines for seven common health conditions (sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected
insect bite, impetigo, shingles, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women), eliminating the need for a GP visit.
Meanwhile, NHSE is leveraging the widespread accessibility of pharmacies by expanding blood pressure monitoring and introducing direct prescribing of clinically
safe oral contraceptives-an initiative that has been well-received.
Patients want to be active partners in their healthcare decisions - and eye care is no exception. Patient education is vital for understanding diagnoses,
treatment options, and the importance of preventative care. When patients understand what's happening with their health, they're far more likely to follow their
treatment plan and see good results. Here's a deeper look at why patient education matters.
Patient-Centered Care: The Key to Success
The Institute of Medicine emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care. This means involving patients in decision-making and providing them with the
necessary education for informed choices. This approach is even more crucial in eye care, where conditions can lead to irreversible blindness.
The Need for Patient Education
Research shows that many patients crave educational materials from their eye care providers, but many don't receive them. This leaves patients searching for
information on their own, potentially turning to unreliable sources. Clear, accessible patient education is vital in ensuring understanding and treatment
adherence.For instance, patient education is crucial in preventing diseases like glaucoma. The more informed patients are, the more chances they will
discover early signs of disease by taking OCT test for glaucoma.
National Health Services (NHS) patients across England are set to experience a significant enhancement in accessing key healthcare services such as
community nursing through the expansion of self-referral options that no longer require a GP appointment.
The recent announcement is part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan and is set to offer hundreds of thousands more individuals each month the opportunity
to refer themselves for essential services such as "incontinence support", "podiatry", or "hearing tests" without GP referrals.
This move aims to alleviate the burden on general practitioners through self-referrals for more than 180,000 patients, allowing them to focus their time and
resources on patients in need of immediate care and recover the long waiting times.
As per the NHS data, approximately 200,000 people per month self-refer themselves which under the new plan will extend to additional critical services tailored
to local population needs to "continue modernising GP, expand pharmacy services, and offer patients more choice in how they access care".