Abstract
Placing the person at the centre of their health and care has been a key part of health and care policy for nearly 2 decades. Fundamental to this approach is the role self-management support plays in increasing the confidence, skills and knowledge of a person in manging their health and wellbeing. This practical review article sets out to explore the historical context of self-management in England, its current status and the challenges faced in delivering self-management programmes. The demand on the health and care system continues to grow and so the need to move to a more holistic system of care with the person at its centre is greater than it has ever been before. With an increasingly fiscally restricted environment with which to operate, how can commissioners, health specialists and service providers work together to develop integrated pathways of care that provide the right care, at the right time and in the right place.