To inform its work, the Inquiry panel commissioned a research project to examine what constitutes best practice in managing long-term conditions, and how can this be measured. The management of people with long-term conditions, including long-term mental health problems assesses the scope for significant quality improvements in this aspect of general practice care, with a specific focus on arthritis, diabetes, dementia and depression. The paper is written by a team from The King’s Fund: Nick Goodwin, Natasha Curry, Chris Naylor, Shilpa Ross and Wendy Duldig.

Leave us your comments below and read the research report when it is published later in the summer.

In March 2010 the Inquiry held a seminar on the management of long-term conditions with participants including GPs, practice nurses, NHS executives, health academics and patient representatives.

Key issues raised in discussion include:

• How general practices can be more proactive in the management of people with long-term conditions in local communities.
• How to ensure that general practice has access to staff with the multi-disciplinary skills necessary to manage complex patients effectively.
• What approaches can be used in general practice to better support patients to self-care.

We’d like to get your views on how important you think the management of long-term conditions is for good-quality care in general practice. What do you feel about the key issues that have been raised as a result of the work we have commissioned? Should this area of care be a priority? And do you think there are key points that have been overlooked in the debate? Your comments will help to inform the Inquiry’s final report.

Please share your views with us, and others, by leaving a comment below. However, if you’d prefer to comment privately please email gpinquiry@kingsfund.org.uk