Long live the children

Chronic diseases represent one of the largest burdens on our healthcare system. While the majority who experience chronic diseases are over the age of 65, the emerging paediatric population experiencing multiple chronic diseases is increasing and will continue to increase into the future as treatments for chronic childhood diseases continue to improve. GPs need to become cognisant of the need for health screening and health promotion in this paediatric population in order to try to mitigate the adverse effects associated with experiencing multiple morbidities. They need to be included in transition meetings from an early stage. There also needs to be improved communication between the multidisciplinary healthcare teams and GPs, with more regular correspondence providing updates on the healthcare requirements of each child. Finally, but crucially, both adults and children with multiple chronic conditions are routinely excluded from research trials, and this needs to change. More research needs to be undertaken involving this patient population if GPs and other healthcare providers are to provide the most appropriate and evidence-based care