Expert patients programme
We all know our own bodies better than anyone else. This is even more important when you have a long-term chronic health condition.
The Expert Patients Programme (EPP) is a self-management course specifically for people with long-term chronic health conditions such as:
- arthritis
- heart disease
- diabetes
- multiple sclerosis
- asthma
- liver disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- irritable bowel
- epilepsy etc
…anything that continually affects their quality of life. The aim of the course is to help people to maintain their health and improve their quality of life and become experts in their own self management of their condition.
On the programme you'll learn important skills which will enable you to:
- manage symptoms and pain
- deal with anger, fear, frustration and depression
- aid relaxation and
- help you to work with your healthcare professionals so that you can get as much as possible from the NHS help that's available to you
The course is unique in two ways. Firstly, it's a self referral course. You decide whether you attend a course or not. You don’t need a healthcare professional to refer you.
Secondly, it's delivered by specially trained “lay-tutors”, not healthcare professionals. The tutors also have a long-term chronic health condition so they know what it's like to live and deal with this.
The course takes place over six weeks - a two and a half hour meeting each week - and it's FREE.
To find out more information or to book a place on a course, visit the Expert Patients Programme website, or telephone 0800 9885 550
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