This article outlines the rationale behind an approach developed at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre (NPCRDC) to improve patients' abilities to self-manage their conditions with the support of services provided by the NHS. The approach is systematic and requires involvement of patients in the development of information, changing access arrangements to health services and promoting a patient-centred approach to care. A programme of research and development is currently being undertaken at The University of Manchester by researchers based at NPCRDC to investigate the effectiveness of this approach. The evidence base for the strategy under investigation is discussed and proposals are made for the role of nurses as facilitators for the self-management agenda in the NHS.