Long Term Conditions Self-Management Programme

The overall aim of this service is to strengthen the ability of people living with a long term condition to self-manage their condition. It will do this via the following ways: • By providing evidence based, high quality, free and inclusive self-management courses for people (aged 18+) from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups who are of working age, have a sole long term condition and live in areas of greater deprivation. • Through on-going support to participants via support groups and reunion events • Through the delivery of high quality training, personal development, supervision and support to those involved in the delivery of the programme.

NHS England states 15.4 million people in England (over a quarter of the population) have a long term condition, and an increasing number of these have multiple conditions. The number with three or more is expected to increase from 1.9 million in 2008 to 2.9 million in 2018. A long term (chronic) condition is one for which there is currently no cure, but can be managed with drugs or other treatment with the aim of improving, halting or slowing the progression of the condition. Long term conditions can affect many parts of a person's life, from their ability to work and have relationships to housing and education opportunities. Within the Greenwich borough it is estimated around 29% of adults 18+ (61311 residents) are in the early stages of one long term condition and 11% of adults 18+ (22482 residents) have three or more long term conditions.

The Department of Health states people with long term conditions use a significant proportion of health care services; within England 50% of all GP appointments and 70% of days spent in hospital beds. Care of people with long term conditions accounts for 70% of the money spent on health and social care in England. The majority (some 69%) of the Royal Borough of Greenwich's Department of Adults and Older People's expenditure is spent on people with three or more long term conditions (11%). It is obvious that we need to focus self-management efforts on assisting those who have a sole long term condition, with the aim of helping to prevent them developing multiple long term conditions. Major conditions prevalent within Greenwich include Coronary Heart Disease, Diabetes, Hypertension, Stroke, Atrial Fibrillation, Common Mental Illness, Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease.

Across England long-term conditions are more prevalent in deprived groups. People in the poorest social class have a 60% higher prevalence than those in the richest social class and 30 per cent more severity of disease. Greenwich is a deprived borough. Areas of greater deprivation are located mainly in the north and east of the borough but there are areas of higher deprivation across the whole of Greenwich.

Providers should register their interest in this opportunity, and request tender documents by emailing, [email protected]