PurposePreviously, health self-care and informal or “close-care” for family and friends were receiving increasing attention, but became more important during the COVID-2019 pandemic. Sometimes, this was because formal services became less physically accessible to patients and were overburdened by patients ill with COVID-2019. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of this phenomenon and consider the implications for clinical governance.Design/methodology/approachA five-step search and narrative review method were used, and case examples were selected to illustrate some of these developments.FindingsExamples discovered and described include innovations in websites, social media support groups, systems for matching volunteers to people needing of help, computer and mobile phone applications, digital devices and virtual health rooms run by peer volunteers to help others to learn and use digital technologies.Originality/valueIn response to their health self-care needs not being met, some patients and carers and their associations developed new digital technologies or adapted existing ones. This use and their innovation separate from health care have been largely unreported in the scientific and professional literature. This is the first review of grey literature and other reports of this growing phenomena.