This year’s National Self-Care Week saw inspiring local and national activities. While overall participation was lower, engagement was higher, with many organisations opting for week-long programmes of events and activities.

The Help Us Help You campaign, typically running alongside Self-Care Week, was not widely promoted this year, contributing to a 50% decline in NHS involvement. While Self-Care Week provides a valuable opportunity to highlight the benefits of self-care, it is essential to raise awareness throughout the entire year. We hope that engagement will increase, especially since, in England, there is an NHS 10-Year Plan on the horizon.

This year, we received strong support from health leaders. Care Minister Stephen Kinnock MP reinforced our message about the vital role of community pharmacy. In Northern Ireland, the Health Department issued a press release focused on winter wellbeing, and we partnered with the Welsh Health Department to develop Self-Care Week resources.

During National Self-Care Week, we unveiled fascinating interim results from our “Living Self-Care Survey Study,” which highlighted a lack of awareness about key public health guidelines, such as alcohol consumption and exercise recommendations. These findings emphasise the ongoing need for consistent public health campaigns like those promoted during Self-Care Week.

We would like to express our gratitude to all the organisations and individuals who contributed to making National Self-Care Week a success once again.