The Department of Health welcomes people's views on its long-term conditions strategy
04 May 2012
Author: MS Trust
The Department of Health is working with other government departments to develop a strategy to help improve the lives of people with long-term conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, and is asking people to comment on what should be covered.
The aim of the strategy is to provide clear goals and ideas of how services for people with long-term conditions can be improved.
The Department of Health would like to hear from people with long-term conditions, carers, health professionals, commissioners, local authorities and the voluntary sector. People can provide their experiences, both positive and negative, and give suggestions about what could be done differently. People will have until 15 June to give their views, ideas and experiences.
They are particularly interested to hear your views on the following:
- what problems you face, either living with a long-term condition or in your work affecting people with long-term conditions, and how you think these problems could be tackled
- your experiences of different ways of working or your ideas about this
- how local services can work together to make life better for people with long-term conditions
- how people with long-term conditions can be experts in their own care and how services can be based on their individual needs
- what common aims you think government departments should be signing up to, relating to all long-term conditions.
The strategy will cover both health issues and the other aspects of people's lives that can be affected by having long-term conditions. It will involve many government departments including the Department for Work and Pensions, Home Office, Department for Transport, among others. The strategy will only apply to England.
The strategy is being draw up at the moment and will be published towards the end of 2012.
We welcome the opportunity for people living with long-term conditions to contribute to developing this strategy for England. We encourage people with MS to take the opportunity to give their views and make their voice heard. Its vital that policy makers understand what its like to live with MS and how services can be improved.
Amy Bowen, Director of Service Development, MS Trust