MP backs Expert Patient courses

4 October 2006

Don Valley MP, Caroline Flint has urged patients to take part in a series of free courses designed to help Doncaster people manage long-term health conditions. The courses are at risk of being cancelled because of lack of interest from the people they are aimed at.

Said Caroline Flint: "These courses help people maintain their independence and cope better without going into hospital. This is the NHS coming into your community, instead of you going into hospital. I hope more people will take part and see the benefits for themselves."

Many people who live with illnesses such as back pain, heart disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis and diabetes have benefited from taking part in the Expert Patients Programme (EPP). But one course scheduled to start in Carcroft this week has been cancelled and a further two due to take place in the borough over the next few weeks have been put on hold because not enough people have signed up for them.
The courses have been designed for groups of up to 16 people for two and a half hours a week over a six-week period. The remaining two are due to take place at:

Thorne Old People's Welfare Centre. Mon 9 Oct to Mon 13 Nov. 1 - 3pm

Ivanhoe Centre, Conisbrough. Friday 27 Oct - Friday 1 Dec. 1-3pm

Debbie Leyden, from Doncaster Primary Care Trust, said: "The programme offers the opportunity for people to learn skills to manage their condition better on a day to day basis and some of the benefits of taking part are that they feel more confident and in control of their lives so they can manage such things as pain and medication as well as the emotional consequences of their condition."

Two trained volunteer tutors who have experience of living with a long-term health condition run each course and participants are encouraged to set personal goals and use distraction and relaxation techniques to improve their quality of life.
Unfortunately the take up of these courses has been very poor and in order for people to obtain maximum benefit from each course we need a minimum of eight participants. Therefore we will have to postpone or cancel them if we don't get more interest, which will be a tragedy as they enable participants to learn a variety of techniques to improve their quality of life".

The EPP has been taking place in Doncaster for more than three years and many people are now better able to manage their condition themselves. Doncaster has been part of a national pilot funded by the Department of Health and organised by the Borough's primary care trust.