Information for the public
Improving care for people with more than 1 long-term health problem
Improving care for people with more than 1 long-term health problem
Many people in the UK are living with long-term health problems. These may be conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or arthritis, and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Other types of health problems include long-term pain, having learning disabilities, sight or hearing loss, and having problems with alcohol or drugs. When people are living with more than 1 of these types of problem, healthcare professionals call this 'multimorbidity'.
NICE has written advice (a guideline) for healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists who provide care for adults. It looks at how to help people who may find it hard to cope with their different health problems – not everyone with more than 1 condition needs this help. NICE's advice should help to join up their care and focus on the things that matter most to them. This information explains NICE's advice.