A Macclesfield-based GP and practice manager have urged people to give the NHS a great 70th birthday present by eating healthily and taking plenty of exercise.
The plea was made earlier this week by Dr Louise Hastings and Mrs Chris Campbell-Kelly, who have clocked up a combined service of 46 years at Park Lane Surgery.
The pair said that the key to a successful NHS for the next 70 years is effective self-care that reduces the number of people living with conditions such as diabetes and putting unnecessary pressure on urgent and emergency care.
They explained that self-care was not the responsibility of patients alone, and that the NHS has a role to play in empowering people to look after themselves.
East Cheshire’s 22 GP practices all have clinics to promote healthy lifestyles and to help people with long-term conditions like heart failure, diabetes and serious breathing problems.
The NHS in east Cheshire is also helping by working with partners including Cheshire East Council to join up health and social care services, supporting older and vulnerable people to live independently at home – which is where most people want to stay.
Care communities are being set up to fit services around people, and the local NHS says it is investing in technology to make it easier for people to access its services online 24/7.
Dr Hastings and Mrs Campbell-Kelly called on people to get more involved in shaping their healthcare by joining the Patient Participation Group (PPG) of their local GP practice.
PPGs ensure the patient’s voices are heard when care is reviewed, and they help to promote services to patients.
For more information on the Park Lane PPG, call 01625 422 893 or ask at reception.
