The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7329 p839
11 December 2004

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“Step by step: getting help from health services” (more)

Campaign highlights range of out-of-hours services

Patients are happy to see health professionals other than GPs if it means a faster service out of surgery hours. The finding is part of a Developing Patient Partnerships campaign launched to explain out-of-hours services.

DPP spokesman David Wrigley said: “The finding that 85 per cent of people are happy for pharmacists to be more involved in advising them about health issues suggests patients are becoming less reliant solely on the GP.”

A central part of the DPP campaign is a new leaflet — “Step by step: getting help from health services” — which outlines three steps to getting help. The first is to consider self-care, and the leaflet highlights the role that pharmacists play in providing advice and treatment for minor ailments. Step two is to see further advice or treatment from NHS Direct or a GP and the third step explains how to seek help in emergencies.

The DPP leaflet will be made available through primary care organisations. Its content is accessible here