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Long term conditions

A long term condition is one that can not be cured but can be managed through medication and/or therapy.

There is no definitive list of long term conditions. Conditions such as, diabetes, asthma, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and mental health issues can all be included as a long term condition. As there are many long term conditions, DH policy is generic and not disease specific.

There are around 15 million people in England with at least one long term condition. Numbers are expected to increase, in particular those with two or more conditions.

Latest updates

15 February 2011: Healthy Lives equal Healthy Communities

Expert Patients Programme Community Interest Company  have recently completed a social return on investment study in the North West on their EPP and Substance & Alcohol Misuse courses (SAM).  The study showed that as well as a  return in health benefits, the SAM course showed an additional return in social benefits - in terms of volunteering, employment opportunities and further education.  Copies of the study are available on the EPPCIC website.

8 February 2011: Medically Unexplained Symptoms

Developed by Dr Anand Chitnis in the NHS West Midlands, this short paper offers consultation techniques and explanations for health professionals working with patients whose medical symptoms cannot be easily explained 

To download the information sheet please visit:

3 February 2010: Making the local case for self care education

The Department of Health, in collaboration with Expert Patient Programme CIC, have developed a tool to make the local business case for self care education. The tool aims to stimulate demand for self care education courses, both generic and disease specific, by providing commissioners [users can choose GP commissioner pathfinders, PCTs or GP practices] with an evidence based business case, tailored for their area – with information about costs and cost savings based on local circumstances.

The tool is available on the EPP CIC, self-management website:

3 February 2011: More Information Sheets for healthcare professionals

The Department has published five more information sheets for doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, health trainers and those delivering personal health budgets to support individuals with long term conditions. Topics include assessment of need and managing risk, how personalised care planning fits with advance care planning in end of life care; what motivates people to self care, and goal setting and action planning.

Review of Self Care Week 2010

The activity reviews captures some of the fantastic national and locally led activity, which took place to promote the campaign including pictures from some of the activities held during the week.

20 December 2010

The Long Term Conditions Quality, Innovation, Prevention and Productivity Team have produced the E's of Self Management, which is aimed at professionals who are commissioning and providing services for people with long term conditions and summarises support for professional engagement in self management of long term conditions.

Pain and Self Care Toolkits

The toolkits provide information to people on coping with chronic pain and show how self care can help them to manage their condition. The author, Peter Moore, suffers from persistent pain, asthma and osteoarthritis and used his own and other peoples experiences to develop the toolkits.

The Pain toolkit is available to order from the DH orderline, quoting 403298 Pain Toolkit, or by telephone on 0300 123 1000.

There is a limited supply of hard copies of the Self Care toolkit available from the Department. Please contact us at longtermconditions@dh.gsi.gov.uk

Quality Innovation, Preventions and Productivity (QIPP)

The QIPP workstream seeks to improve clinical outcomes and experience for patients with long term conditions and maximise the use of resources. In doing so the workstream seeks to reduce unscheduled hospital admissions by 20%, reduce length of stay by 25% and maximise the number of patients controlling their own disease through systematic knowledge transfer and care planning. The workstream is currently engaged with 60% of all health economies which are all working towards delivering a generic LTC care model that will achieve these results. This model recognises that disease specific pathways are redundant in the face of massively increasing numbers of people with multiple long term conditions.

Patient leaflet on personalised care planning available

A leaflet for people with long term conditions - and their carers - which explains personalised care planning and what a care plan is, is now available. Copies can be ordered from the DH orderline quoting 299425/Care planning or Tel: 0300 123 1002

Help and advice for living life well with a long term condition

If you or someone you know is living with a long term condition, you'll know that sometimes life's not easy. Being in control means greater confidence and better health and wellbeing. This leaflet contains information and advice about the support available. Copies can be ordered from the DH orderline quoting 296717/Your Health or Tel: 0300 123 1002

Assistive Technology

Throughout the world, health and social care systems  are piloting the use of telehealth and telecare technologies. Unfortunately, the evidence generated by these small scale pilots is not robust, particularly regarding clinical and financial effectiveness.

 

We are therefore running the world’s largest randomised control trial to provide reliable evidence on the benefits of telehealth and telecare. This is the Whole System Demonstrator programme, running in three sites (Cornwall, Newham and Kent) with over 6,000 people involved and with results expected in Spring 2011. 

White Paper: Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS

The White Paper published in July this year sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. For people with long term conditions this means being at the centre of decisions about their care and support "no decision about me without me". The generic LTC model places the emphasis on engaging the individual in making shared decisions about their care. 

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