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The Self Care Forum (SCF), a network of healthcare professionals, patient groups, NHS managers, NHS England and OTC medicines companies, launched a self care manifesto at its annual conference earlier this month. 'My health, my life' sets out practical steps to achieving the personal engagement needed to ensure the future sustainability of the NHS.

Maximum engagement can be achieved by putting people in charge of their own lives, giving them the information to make their own decisions and by using the health service as a support and resource when needed, the forum believes. To realise this, the manifesto focuses on the 'four pillars of self care': lifelong learning, empowerment, information, and campaigns.

Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing and a SCF board member, said: €Supporting people to care for themselves and to know when professional treatment is needed will be crucial in delivering a health service fit for the future. The public must be better engaged and supported in doing this.€

Launching this year's Self Care Week at the conference, health minister Earl Howe said going further on self care is €absolutely vital€ for the sustainability of the NHS and better for patients, leading to €improved patient outcomes, fewer unnecessary consultations and better use of resources'.

Key to this was the two-way partnership between patients and healthcare professionals to provide patients with the information, tools, support and care to help patients get well and stay well, he said.