Millions see GP for stuffy noses and dandruff in waste of appointments: survey The figures were calculated in a report commissioned by the Proprietary Association of Great Britain, which represents pharmaciesm and is one of the organisations involved in the National Self Care Forum. Dr Paul Stillman, a GP in Crawley and a member of the National Self Care Forum, said: "We have a growing older population in England. More people are living longer with complex or long-term health conditions - this is great news for everyone, but it does mean we need to take steps so that we can focus more resources on these potentially vulnerable groups of people. We are not saying that people should not go to see their GP or use their A&E, emergency and 999 services if they believe they are seriously ill. We need to understand how we can encourage them to help themselves for common problems. 51.4 million GP appointments a year in England and Wales are for minor ailments alone, if we can encourage more people to self-care for common complaints, we can re-focus resources on people who really need them. Stephanie Varah, Chief Executive of the National Association for Patient Participation, said: "Empowering individuals to access and understand appropriate information that supports shared and informed decision making about treatment, self care and lifestyle choices is key to helping people understand how they can better look after themselves." A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is important that people get the right advice and care from the right health professional, in the right place, at the right time. People with a minor ailment can visit their local pharmacist, who is a qualified health professional and will be able to offer advice and support or direct them to see their GP. NHS Choices provides information on symptoms, treatments, causes and prevention, and can be used by patients to decide on the best way to manage their condition. For urgent health issues, we are introducing the new NHS 111 service to enable patients to access the whole of the NHS through just one simple number. This will ensure they get the care that is right for them - 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.