The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has highlighted the pressures facing general practice, with many GPs lacking the time needed to provide the healthy living advice that patients value and trust them to deliver.

In its new Prevention Report, the RCGP argues that greater investment in general practice is essential to strengthen prevention, reduce health inequalities, avoid hospital admissions and support a more sustainable NHS. This includes increased funding, greater workforce capacity and a stronger focus on prevention across the health system.

Our Living Self-Care Survey research highlights an additional challenge: health professionals perceive patients to be disengaged from self-care advice. Together, these findings point to a potential barrier to effective prevention.

Even where patients trust healthcare professionals, limited time can restrict opportunities to discuss and support self-care, while perceptions of patient disengagement may make these conversations more difficult to prioritise.

Addressing both challenges is essential to creating the time, opportunities and support people need to engage with self-care and take a more active role in better managing their health.