In recent years there have been major developments in how long term conditions are managed and so it is important nurses understand the rationale behind policy initiatives and their implications for practice.

Introduction: E.Denny and S.Earle.- PART I: THEORY, POLICY AND RESEARCH.- Chronic Illness, Disability and the Politics of Health; E. Denny and S.Earle.- Long Term Conditions, Policy and Practice; A.Hewison and D.Cox.- Researching People with Long-term conditions G.Letherby.- PART II: IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.- 'It takes your breath away': The Social Setting of COPD; T.Heller.- Coronary Heart Disease: Moving from Acute to Long Term Accounts; L.Lockyer.- Policy and Practice for Diabetes Care; C.Lloyd and C.Skinner.- 'Getting to know myself': Changing Needs and Gaining Knowledge among People with Cancer; J.Tritter.- HIV/AIDS: A Highly Stigmatized Long Term Condition; E.Richardson.- Witness and Duty: Answering the Call to Speak for Dementia Sufferers in Advanced Illness; P.Savy.- Social Perspectives on Depression; A.Mitchell, E.Denny and S.Earle.- Obesity: A Long Term Condition?; S.Earle.- Heartsink Patients and Intractable Conditions; E.Denny.- Concluding Reflections; E.Denny and S.Earle.

DAVID COX is Chair of South Birmingham Primary Care Trust and Emeritus Professor, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK TOM HELLER is Senior Lecturer in Health Studies, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK ALISTAIR HEWISON is Head of the School of Health Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK GAYLE LETHERBY is Professor of Sociology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK CATHY E. LLOYD is Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Social Care, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK LESLEY LOCKYER is Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK ANN MITCHELL is Lecturer and Mental Health Lead for Pre-registration, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK ERICA RICHARDSON is Researcher, European Centre for Health of Societies in Transition, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London UK PAULINE SAVVY is a Sociologist, Albury-Wodonga Campus, La Trobe University, Australia T. CHAS SKINNER is Associate Professor of Health Psychology at the University of Wollongong, Australia JONATHON TRITTER is Chief Executive, NHS Centre for Involvement and Professorial Fellow, Institute of Governance and Public Management, Warwick Business School, Warwick, UK