NorthFutures Tecnologically Support Management of Multiple Long Term Conditions

People in County Durham are living with multiple long-term health conditions while navigating a health and social care system that is poorly coordinated. This matters because County Durham is among the most deprived areas in England, and residents with multiple long-term conditions (MLTCs) often face fragmented services that fail to address their combined needs. The project tackles a gap in knowledge: what local communities and organisations actually need and prioritise for joined-up care in this specific context. The research team will run a three-stage Delphi study. First, open discussions will identify the main challenges in County Durham’s health and social care provision. Then, participants will rate these issues by importance, narrowing down the most critical areas for improvement. The final output will be a set of practical recommendations for better integration of care. If this succeeds, the recommendations could directly reshape how health and social care services are delivered in County Durham—making them less disjointed and more responsive to what residents actually need. The findings will also help set future research priorities for the region. This is applied, community-grounded work with no immediate fundamental science component.