Do you live with more than one long-term health condition, care for someone who does, or deliver research and work with people who do? The Multiple Long-Term Conditions (MLTC) Priority Setting Partnership has opened its second survey, and wants your help deciding which unanswered research questions about care matter most. It closes on 15 November 2026.
The partnership is run with the James Lind Alliance, funded by NIHR, and led by researchers at the Universities of Exeter, Bristol and Newcastle. Its first survey asked people what questions they had about how care is organised and delivered for people with multiple long-term conditions. From those answers, the team has drawn up a list of 45 questions that current research hasn’t answered. This second round is about putting them in order.
Why it matters for dementia research
Dementia rarely comes on its own. Most people living with dementia are also managing other long-term conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease or depression. That means more appointments, more medicines and more professionals to deal with, in health and care services that are mostly designed around one condition at a time. For a personal take on what that overlap looks like, read our blog When research becomes your reality: dementia and cancer.
The questions that rise to the top will help shape what gets funded and studied next, so it’s worth making sure the voices of people affected by dementia, and the researchers who work with them, are part of the mix.
Who can take part
The team wants to hear from:
- People with lived experience of multiple long-term conditions.
- Family members and unpaid carers.
- Health, social care, voluntary sector, policy and research professionals.
You can take part whether or not you completed the first survey.
What you’ll be asked to do
You’ll read through the list of research questions, tick any you think are important, then choose up to 10 that matter most to you.
Help spread the word
The window is shorter this time, so the team would be grateful for help sharing the survey through newsletters, mailing lists and social media. If you work with a PPI group or people with lived experience, pass it on. If you need a reminder of why their input counts, read our blog on the importance of lived experience in research.
Questions about the survey can go to mltc@exeter.ac.uk.
Survey closes: 15 November 2026
Nature Careers Blog
Dr Chloe Fawns-Ritchie
