The initiative launched by the NHS – via the website www.nhs.uk/yourhealth – aimed to encourage those living with long term conditions to take control of their own health and wellbeing and have a more active role in decisions about their care.

Long term conditions can limit lifestyle and include things like asthma, chronic lung disease, diabetes, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons and rheumatoid arthritis.

More than 15million people in England have a long term condition and the number is expected to increase by around 25 per cent over the next 20 years.

In the north east, there are more people living with long term conditions than any other part of England.

As a result, NHS North East is working to improve services and care, and has includes the issue as part of its ten-year strategy.

The team is led by Dr Simon Eaton, a consultant in diabetes at North Tyneside General Hospital.

He said: "Long term conditions can affect people's lives dramatically and our focus is on improving the support and care we give so that people with long term conditions better understand their condition, the treatments available and be able to look after themselves more effectively.

"The focus of treatment is often to control the symptoms or prevent more problems in the future, rather than cure, so well targeted care built around the specific needs of individual patients and focused outside of hospital is of paramount importance.

"There are already many examples of innovative work to support self care across the north east but we want to ensure that good care planning is consistent for everyone living with a long term condition, whatever that condition might be."

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