When a person suffers from two or more long-term health conditions at the same time this is known as multimorbidity.
The World Health Organization says multimorbidity puts patients at greater risk and complicates primary care. It also drives up healthcare costs.
People with more than one condition face a higher risk of early death and poorer quality of life. They may also have to take multiple medications. Polypharmacy increases the risk of harmful drug interactions and side effects, and patients find it harder to stick to treatment.
