The aim of this essay is to analyze and critically evaluate local and national policies relating to long-term health conditions (LTC) and complex care needs, which inform practice community. It aims to critically evaluate the complex care needs of people with heart failure as the LTC of choice, outlining areas of care that need to be addressed by professionals using contemporary research and evidence-based practice. According to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2010), all identities of local people and trusts will be kept confidential. It is important to understand what is meant by LTC and why it is an important topic to address and understand as a district student nurse. WHO (2000) believes that nurses have an increasingly important role to play in addressing public health challenges. District nurses are at the heart of patient care, ensuring continuity of care and addressing changing health and social care needs, enabling patients to remain as independent as possible and in their own homes. “Long-term condition” refers to a health problem that cannot be cured, however can be managed with medications and other therapies (Snoddon, 2010) whereas, as Margereson and Trenoweth (2010) state, long-term conditions term are prolonged, do not resolve spontaneously and are rarely curable. Snoddon's (2010) definition is believed to portray long-term conditions more positively and therefore more appropriately. Give individuals hope that conditions can be managed to allow them to continue living as independently as possible. In 2008, Lord Darzi produced the Darzi Report (DH, 2008) which stated that the current population of over 75s was 4.7 million and estimated that by 2031 this would increase by 3.5 million... middle of paper… the ability of the heart to function as a pump to support physiological circulation” (NICE, 2003, p3). According to NICE (2003) HF represents a major burden on the NHS, with a total annual cost of £716 million, or 1.8% of the total NHS budget, largely due to cost of hospital admission. This cost has risen to 2% of the total budget (NICE, 2010). Heart failure not only has an impact on the NHS, but also increases the burden on other agencies and on patients themselves (NICE, 2003). The NSF for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) (2000) has established 12 evidence-based standards, the 11th standard being for the diagnosis and treatment of HF. The standard states that people with suspected heart failure should be confirmed by appropriate investigations such as echocardiography. It also goes on to state that the causes of confirmed heart failure should be identified and treatments should be offered to both relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of death..