The majority of patients with long-term health conditions want advice on how to manage themselves, and yet nearly 50% of those diagnosed with a long-term condition wait five years or more before being referred to a self management programme, according to a survey by self management uk.
Asked to choose three improvements to their care, which would make a difference to their quality of life, 62% of patients said ‘getting the right advice to support me in managing my condition’, 43% said ‘having a GP that understands the difficulties of living with a long-term condition’, and 38% said ‘healthcare professionals treating me as an equal with a say in my treatment’. Of those surveyed, only 16% said ‘being able to access care outside of usual office hours’ and ‘being able to see my GP more often and for longer’.
These results are in stark contrast with patients’ experience of self management support. Over 70% of participants said they had to wait over 2 years before being offered a place on a self management course, with 48% waiting over five years.
Renata Drinkwater, chief executive of self management uk, will be formally announcing the results today at the Future of Health Conference, organised by NHS England and ULC Partners and held at the Islington Business Design Centre.
Ms Drinkwater said:
These results are absolutely appalling. They show that patients who could be getting on with improving their wellbeing and better managing their condition are waiting far too long before receiving the support they want and need.
We’ve known for many years that self management improves clinical and psychological outcomes for patients. The case for self management is clear – not only does self management improve patients’ quality of life, but it also provides a solution to NHS savings in the short and long term.
At self management uk, we have been working with long-term patients for over 10 years and, although the rhetoric and policy around self management is sound, what we see on the ground shows a different picture. We need a co-ordinated and committed approach to self management where commissioners, clinicians, patients and other health & social care professionals work together to improve access to self management support and training.
Self management support can be crucial for patients with long-term conditions and the survey revealed that the majority of patients (60%) either agree or strongly agree that the management course made a difference to their lives.
With pressure on NHS budgets and the management of long-term conditions accounting for 70% of health and social care costs in England [1], empowering patients to self manage has become a priority. A growing body of evidence shows that, done properly, a system that supports people with long-term conditions to manage their own health has benefits for the person, their health and for health services [2].
Patients who self manage can save the NHS billions of pounds. Self management courses significantly reduce costly visits to A&E and GP surgeries, freeing up valuable time and resources. According to the Department of Health, there could be a saving of around £452 per year per patient [3], by reducing: health care professional visits (doctors, nurses); outpatient appointments; A&E attendances; and hospital inpatient bed days.
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