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Self-Care Census Report

PAGB, the consumer healthcare association|United Kingdom |July 2025
Health Literacy & Disease Prevention
Responsible Self-Care
Policy & Advocacy
Published on

On International Self-Care Day, PAGB, the consumer healthcare association, published their annual report focused on self-care in the UK, sharing up-to-date evidence about self-care practices and attitudes, and highlighting the current challenges and opportunities for self-care. The results of the census outlined in the report support the case for prioritising self-care, highlighting the benefits it can provide by reducing demand on the NHS, reducing health inequalities and empowering people to take ownership of their own health. The report provides important real-world evidence to support the UK Government’s 10 Year Health Plan’s aim to embed self-care into the fabric of the NHS, with crucial insights that can ensure the ambitions around self-care are fully realised in practice.

Objectives

  • Gather new data on the UK’s experiences of self-care to understand behavioural patterns across self-care practices and trends in common self-treatable health conditions.
  • Analyse and present the data in a report in the context of the UK’s healthcare system and the Government’s commitments to self-care in the 10 Year Health Plan, with contribution from healthcare professionals and industry leaders.
  • Share the report and its findings with key stakeholders across Government and industry to promote the importance of self-care and recommendations for implementing self-care policy.
  • Secure consumer interest in the report’s findings through national and trade media.

Target Audience

  • Regulatory authorities and policymakers
  • Consumer healthcare manufacturers and associations
  • Pharmacy organisations
  • General population

Key Activities and Approach

  • Ran a public census with 4,000 UK adults via polling agency Perspectus Global asking questions about self-treatable conditions and self-care opinions.
  • Published the Self-Care Census Report on PAGB’s website and digital channels
  • Industry-wide stakeholder engagement and media outreach
  • Hosted a webinar for PAGB member companies and key industry stakeholders, presenting a deep dive on the data and contributions from a panel of experts, including industry leaders and a community pharmacist, who discussed the findings and what these mean for the consumer healthcare industry
  • Made webinar recording available on PAGB’s eLearning platform

Impact and Result

  • The report and findings were picked up nationally, with coverage across over 20 pieces of print, online and broadcast, including two double page spreads in national daily newspapers.
  • PAGB members were fully engaged in the launch of the report, using the Census data in their own communications and campaigns.
  • Over 70 attendees joined the webinar, including representatives from Community Pharmacy England (CPE), the Company Chemists Association (CCA), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  • Data from the report is already being used in policy and public affairs briefings, letters, consultation responses and parliamentary meetings.
  • PAGB is producing a further report with data from the census to support with key policy asks.

Insights and Takeaways for Others

  • Annual census and report provides real-world evidence to strengthen calls to promote self-care and support the implementation of national self-care policy.
  • PAGB member companies are engaged and invested through communications and webinar to promote the key findings and recommendations from the report.
  • Engaging key industry stakeholders, including pharmacy organisations, helps increase the reach of the report and its findings as a source of expert information on self-care.

Additional Resources and Contact