One in five visits to GPs "unnecessary"

Almost one in five patient visits to surgeries are for non-serious ailments, according to the Self-Care Campaign, which says non-essential appointments are costing the NHS 2 billion pounds a year.

The group believes that if people can be educated to manage their health, the NHS can save up to half of its projected 20 billion pound shortfall expected over the next five years.

But patients' representatives attacked the report for "blaming the customer."

The Self-Care Campaign report says: "Our research reveals the catastrophic impact of the public's dependency on the NHS. The NHS has become the victim of a demand-led culture.

"The report highlights that common disturbances to normal good health, such as coughs and colds, are accounting for nearly one fifth of GP workload."

The report was funded by the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, which represents manufacturers of over-the-counter medicines.

Both the doctors' group, the British Medical Association, and the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) back the report's findings.

"We need to look at ways of encouraging a change in attitude towards the treatment of minor illnesses so that health care and services are properly directed at those most in need," said RCGP president Professor Steve Field.

Dr Paul Stillman, a GP in Crawley, Sussex, also supported the survey's findings but said its authors were not labelling members of the public malingerers.