Overall the evidence for a beneficial effect of self care support networks as a generic intervention is very weak. The more reliable findings from comparisons with control in the better quality studies suggest that some self care support networks in certain settings can be beneficial. However, as these studies comprised a trial of Weight Watchers, three trials of carers in Hong Kong and one of a tuberculosis (TB) Club in Ethiopia, the generalisability of the findings to the UK healthcare environment can at best be limited. It is disappointing that only one, rather old (published in 1987) study was conducted in the UK.