Health professionals stated that due to increasing number of people asking for appointments with GPs for very minor illness including coughs and colds, NHS is bound to face a bad impact. It has been reported that normal and easily curable treatments are accounting for increased workload on GPs and is surprisingly costing NHS £2 billion every year.

Group of doctors and health campaigners expressed their worries in a letter written to the Times under "Self-Care Campaign" stating NHS due to this minor problem’s consultation is gradually becoming "the victim of a demand-led culture" as 51.4 million minor ailments end up in appointments contributing to one fifth of the workload faced by GPs. This campaign is being funded by drugs companies that claim selling “over-the-counter” medicines, and is being supported by health charities along with doctors and nurses.

Approaching the doctors for curable small problems is preferred by people due to “convenience” factor, states the report, and therefore a change in the attitudes of people is needed so that people more in need are not neglected. The report also suggests that making people feel the intensity of their diseases does not mean a refusal of treatment for the needy patients; rather it just aims at providing services to those who require it more.