A plan to ease pressure on doctors by getting patients to 'self care' has been ridiculed by health campaigners.

Bosses at West Sussex Primary Care Trust (PCT) say encouraging people take better care of themselves would reduce the number of attendances at accident and emergency and GP surgeries.

This includes improving their diet, taking more exercise and ensuring they take their medication properly.

The report claims that reductions of 54 per cent in accident and emergency attendances, 69 per cent in GP consultations, 50 per cent of hospital admissions and even 50 per cent of days off work can all be achieved through self care.

The report, called A Breath of Fresh Air, runs parallel to the controversial public consultation Fit for the Future which is aiming reduce the number of major general hospitals in West Sussex from three to one.

Councillors already fighting the proposed cuts to hospital services are furious at the report and say the PCT is trying to justify cuts in services.

Chichester district councillor Myles Cullen said: "They are talking about taking services out of hospitals and placing them into surgeries but these things need to be resourced and it does not seem these ideas have been thought through.

"There is no evidence of in depth studies. People in the area are happy with the service they are getting at the moment and don't see the need for improvement.

"The PCT is justifying the downgrading and removal of expensive acute services by re-engineering the front-line GP services that people are most familiar with.

"I am concerned that this report is flawed and based on nothing but ideas and results of small scale projects from West Sussex.

"Where is the national evidence and rationale behind yet another set of NHS changes?

Chairman of the Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospitals campaign, Tom Wye said: "It is a spurious document. What happens if the forecasts referred to are not achieved?"

PCT director of primary and community care Carol Gareze said: "The report is following the guidance in Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, a White Paper published in 2006 based on national evidence about caring for patients in a different way closer to their homes.

"The figures in the report were evidenced statistics from around the country of reductions in visits to the GP, outpatients visits, A&E attendances, hospital admissions and number of days spent in hospital, days off work and the improvement of patients managing their medicine and can be achieved by redesigning services to bring care closer to home.

"Self care is about people's attitudes and lifestyle, as well as what they can do to take care of themselves when they have a health problem.

"Supporting self care is about increasing people's confidence and self esteem, enabling them to take decisions about the sensible care of their health, and avoiding triggering health problems.

"Although many people are already practicing self care to some extent, there is a great deal more that they can do."

The Fit for the Future consultation is aiming to reduce the number of major general hospitals in West Sussex from three to one.

Under the proposals, either Worthing Hospital or St Richard's Hospital in Chichester will be downgraded and lose accident and emergency, intensive care and consultant-led midwifery services while the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath could be further downgraded to a community hospital.

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