The government is inviting health professionals, carers, patients and others to share their views on how the NHS can best deal with the six major condition groups.
The six primary health condition groups comprise of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental health, and musculoskeletal disorders.
The call for evidence will inform the “landmark” Major Conditions Strategy which will set out how to deal with the conditions that affect the health the most, ultimately culminating in a 360 degree view on how to most effectively prevent, diagnose, manage and treat these conditions.
The Department of Health and Social Care is particularly looking for the insight of those who are either experiencing, caring for, or providing treatment to people with multiple long-term conditions.
People working in the public and voluntary sector are also being encouraged to contribute, alongside those from the wider UK health industry.
Health secretary Steve Barclay explained: “Patients often live with more than one major condition, so it’s vital that we do all we can to understand how best to manage their care. I encourage patients, carers and healthcare professionals to contribute to our call for evidence so we can ensure our Major Conditions Strategy is as targeted and patient-focused as possible.”
The minister of state for social care, Helen Whately, echoed Barclay’s sentiments adding that it is also “really important” to glean insight from dementia and cancer professionals, citing their “invaluable” experience that would benefit the strategy.
This latest call for evidence follows on from similar government action in mental health and cancer last year which garnered 5,000 and 5,557 responses respectively.
The responses to last year’s calls will support the development of the Major Conditions Strategy which the government say will also evaluate health inequalities across England and set out how it can help integrated care systems tackle deprivation in their communities.
The call for evidence is open from today for six weeks, closing on Tuesday the 28th of June at midnight.
