World first for Self Care
Self Care Connect launches
Self Care Connect (www.selfcareconnect.nhs.uk), the world’s first interactive, online self care resource and networking organisation is launched today by the NHS Working in Partnership Programme (WiPP). This single access point to support everyone with a professional interest in self care has been developed to meet the growing demand for practical resources and better information.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said:
"People are living longer and healthier lives, thanks to great advances in medicine and technology. But these changes in society bring with them new challenges with lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes. While Government has a role in helping to shape cultural change, there must also be a level of personal and community responsibility. Resources like Self Care Connect will play an important role in ensuring that everyone has access to better information."
Helena Jordan, who leads on WiPP’s Self Care for Primary Care work explains, “Self Care Connect will do much more than support long term conditions. It’s about encouraging professionals to support a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. There’s also much more to the Self Care Connect website. It will be updated continuously by both the Self Care Connect team and by the users themselves. The site won’t endorse any one particular product or event but will bring together research and resources from across the world for colleagues to share and discuss.”
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Notes to Editors
About self care:
- In 2005 the Department of Health identified self care as meaning “the care taken by individuals towards their own health and well being throughout life. This includes the care extended towards children, family, friends and others in the community as well as end of life issues.
- For further information please go to www.selfcareconnect.nhs.uk/information.
- The WiPP Self Care Connect working party provides expertise and advice and comprises:
- Adrian Reyes-Hughes, NHS Direct
- Angela Hawley, Department of Health
- Ayesha Dost, Department of Health
- Dr Alf Collins, Consultant in Pain Management
- Dr Andrew Havers, General Practitioner
- Dr Ian Banks, General Practitioner
- Gopa Mitra, PAGB
- Heidi Wright, RPSGB
- John Procter, Own Health
- Kate Ansell, Patient Representative
- Kitty Fitzherbert, Arthritis UK
- Lynda Finn, MS Society
- Nigel Hughes, Bradford Teaching PCT
- Nigel Sparrow, Royal College of General Practitioners
- Patrick Hill, National Clinical Governance Support Team
- Philip Leech, independent consultant
- Professor Alan White, Leeds Met University
- Sadia Khan, RPSGB
- Sue Thomas, Royal College of Nursing
About WiPP: www.wipp.nhs.uk
- WiPP was launched in 2004 under the nGMS to support general practice with capacity-building resources and strategies.
- In just two years, WiPP has designed, developed, tested and delivered a range of valuable tools, working in collaboration with over 100 NHS and lay organisations.
- The free resources are supporting the growing demands on general practice. A wide range of practical tools and strategies are helping to develop a skilled and motivated workforce, analyse and act upon demand information and to encourage self care to improve everyone’s health and well being. Aimed at primary care professionals, there are online training courses, best practice guides and a workload analysis tool.
- The programme consists of 13 initiatives, which have been overseen by a multidisciplinary advisory group, WiPPAG. WiPPAG has representatives from the Department of Health, the British Medical Association, NHS Direct, the Royal College of Nursing and The Patients’ Association.