Supporting people with long-term conditions

There are 17.5 million people in the UK with a long-term condition (Department of Health (DoH), 2005a), often with inadequate health or social care plans in place. The fragmentation of the health and social care structures are mirrored in the fact that 5% of people with long-term conditions account for 42% of hospital admissions (DoH, 2004a). As an increase in the number of people living with chronic illness is anticipated to rise it is now recognized globally that steps must be taken to identify those most at risk who have complex needs which are not being met.