Ann Wales is Decision Support Programme Manager in eHealth at the Scottish Government. Below she shares her thoughts on self management.

Ann’s full title is Decision Support Programme Manager in the eHealth (Digital Health and Care) Strategy and Policy Team at the Scottish Government. She has kindly agreed to join the panel of judges for the Self Management Awards in 2017. Read on to find out what Ann is looking forward to about being a judge and what her super power would be.

In 140 characters, what is self management to you?

Enabling people to fulfil their full potential, living on their own terms with any health issues they may have.

What are you most looking forward to about being a judge for the Self Management Awards?

Learning about all the innovative work around us, and being reminded again of the immense commitment of staff and citizens to supporting and enabling people with long term conditions and frailty to live their lives with dignity and as independently as possible.

Why do you think people should submit a nomination for the Self Management Awards this year?

More than ever before, current health and social care policy emphasises that self-management is essential to achieve the transformation needed for a sustainable future model of health and social care. The Health and Social Care Delivery Plan, Clinical Strategy, Realistic Medicine and many other national strategies all give a central focus to self-management. What is still not so clear is how to translate this strategic principle into reality in the form of effective support and enablement, at scale, in communities and everyday health and social care practice. The examples submitted to the Self-Management Awards will help to build an understanding of how this can be achieved in practice, and will accord due recognition to the creativity and commitment on the ground that is not always picked up by policymakers and planners at national and organisational levels.

What piece of advice would you give your younger self?

How you achieve is often as important as what you achieve.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?

The ability to work smarter!

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