Monthly column - Andrew Morgan, chief executive

The timing of my column this month could not be better as we find ourselves in the middle of national Self Care Week (November 12-18).

Both locally and nationally, as different and more effective ways of providing care and services are considered, conversation frequently turns to how organisations can be more proactive at managing resources. A huge part of this is self care.

This element of self care is about delivering our professional support in a different way, one which enables people to have the right knowledge and access to services at the right time to allow them to be more independent and take better control of their own health.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) is no exception to this. In the approach to Self Care Week, we have been asking our staff from across all of our services, including community nursing and therapies, community hospitals, urgent care, children’s therapies, specialist and corporate services about how they can be more proactive in offering this support.

Their ideas have been really promising, including different conversations with those managing long term conditions such as diabetes, right through to LCHS doing more as an employer to support the health and wellbeing of our own team members.

We’re looking forward to seeing how these start to come to fruition this week and beyond; this work will certainly not be limited to one calendar week!

There is plenty we can all do to support self care in its more literal meaning by keeping active, making sensible diet choices and looking after our mental health.

Through the winter months, take advice from your pharmacist for which over-the-counter medicines you can use for ailments such as sore throats, coughs colds and keep emergency services for those who really need them.

If you need further advice, there is a wealth of information at www.nhs.uk or call NHS111.

For more information about Self Care Week, visit selfcareforum.org.