Self care is what people do for themselves and their family to:

• maintain health;

• prevent illness;

• seek advice and treatment for health problems;

• manage symptoms, treatments, side effects;

• accomplish recovery and rehabilitation; and

• manage impact of health problems and disability

Promoting self care, or the self management of long term conditions, means that health and social care practititioners adopt a person-centre approach.  They work to support health-related decisions that take account of peoples' own experiences, goals and desires as well as best available research evidence.

Support for self care and self management of health is a top priority for every health system.  It involves people themselves, voluntary sector and consumer organisations, and professionals working in health and social care and government policy makers.