Long-term conditions cannot typically be cured but their symptoms and complications can usually be controlled with treatment. Long-term conditions can have an impact on an individual’s everyday life, job, relationships, education and finances.
Understanding the prevalence of different long-term conditions in County Durham is important for addressing the health and social needs of the local population.
Key Messages
In County Durham:
- Around 67,121 patients aged 65+ have 1 or more long-term condition (56.2%), with around 6,953 (5.8%) having 4 or more (May 2024).
- Respiratory conditions, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and mental health are common types long-term conditions.
- Smoking and diet contribute to the highest proportion of the total disability adjusted life years – that is how many years an individual is living with poorer health (2021).
- Mortality from cancer is the leading cause of mortality in under 75’s (136.9 per 100,000)(2021-23). This is statistically significantly higher than England (121.6 per 100,000) and similar to the North East ( 137.8 per 100,000).
Long-term conditions data report:
Links to Strategies and Plans
The Health and Wellbeing Board’s Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-28 contains four priorities, each of which aim to address risk factors contributing to the prevalence of long-term conditions in County Durham:
- Making smoking history
- Enabling healthy weight for all
- Improving mental health, resilience and wellbeing
- Reducing alcohol harms.
Evidence base ‘what works’
- Major conditions strategy: case for change and our strategic framework
- Overview | Older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions | Guidance | NICE
- Overview | Social care for older people with multiple long-term conditions | Quality standards | NICE
- Multiple long-term conditions | Topic | NICE
- Managing long-term conditions in the community | NICEimpact children and young people’s healthcare | Reviewing the impact of our guidance | Measuring the use of NICE guidance | Into practice | What we do | About | NICE
Other Intelligence Tools
- Health Survey for England, 2021 part 2: Adult health: General health, acute sickness and longstanding conditions – NHS Digital and NHSE/I data on self-assessed health by sex and over time
- Diabetes Profile – OHID Fingertips profile bringing together data on the pathway of care and the outcomes for diabetes, including primary care management of the condition and risk factors, emergency care, hospital admission, acute care procedures and mortality. Diabetes is a key risk condition in developing CVD. The diabetes profile provide a detailed view of diabetes measures with a summary of diabetes measures contained within the CVD Profile, as having diabetes is a key risk factor for developing CVD.
- Cardiovascular Disease Profiles – OHID Fingertips profile bringing together data on the pathway of care and the outcomes for CVD, including primary care management of the condition and risk factors, emergency care, hospital admission, acute care procedures and mortality. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. CVD is one of the main causes of death and disability in England, but a healthy lifestyle can largely prevent these outcomes.
- National GP Profiles: Cancer – OHID Fingertips profile on prevalence and incidence of cancer, screening and urgent referrals
- Liver Disease Profiles – OHID Fingertips profile looking at hospital admissions for liver disease and alcohol and under 75 mortality from liver disease
- Musculoskeletal Profiles – OHID Fingertips profile focusing on musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions which are the leading cause of pain and disability in England and account for one of the highest causes of sickness absence and productivity loss. The profile explores risk factors for MSK and prevalence of different MSK conditions in the population
- National GP Profiles: Respiratory Disease – OHID Fingertips profile with a section on respiratory disease including indicators on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma
- Dementia Profile – OHID Fingertips profile focusing on prevalence of dementia, prevention, diagnosis, living and supporting well and death in people with dementia