Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to develop a national strategy to promote self-care for minor ailments.

There are no plans to introduce a dedicated national strategy to promote self-care for minor ailments. However, supported self-management or self-care is an integral part of the NHS Long Term Plan, to encourage and empower people to manage their ongoing physical and mental health conditions.

All community pharmacies in England delivering NHS services provide support for patients to self-care, including for minor ailments. This support can include provision of advice, information, and where appropriate the sale of medicines to patients, carers and the general public to support their self-care for minor ailments.