Expert Patient Programme

Free online self-management course for people  living with long-term health conditions

The expert patient programme (EPP) is a 6-week course which aims to give you additional skills to self-manage your condition and develop a better relationship with the healthcare professionals who support you.

Would you like:

  • To improve your quality of life
  • Learn new skills to manage your health condition
  • Meet others and share experiences
  • Communicate better with family, friends and professionals
  • Feel confident and more in control of your condition

The EPP is being run online for anyone living with a long-term health condition. The course is delivered over 6 weeks for no more than 2 hours, led by volunteer trainers with lived experience. Course sessions will cover:-

  • Relaxation techniques
  • Dealing with difficult emotions
  • Exercise
  • Eating healthily
  • Coping with depression
  • Pain and fatigue management
  • Planning for the future

Availability

There are 6 to 8 courses a year across the whole county; the location and dates depend on venues and the availability of tutors. The currently available courses are listed below:

EPP courses

Face-to-face courses are currently on hold.

Our next online course will start on Friday 10 June. It will run every Friday until 22 July 2022 between 11am and 1.30pm.

Our next self-care after COVID course will start on Tuesday 12 July and will run every Tuesday and Thursday until 25 August. 

July/August taking bookings now.

Send an email to enrol in the next course or telephone us on 01579 373500 and leave a message. 

Caring for Me and You (online only )

Register your interest for our free carers course for people who also live with a long-term health condition and care for someone.

Would you like to:

  • manage your caring situation more effectively
  • be realistic about the impact of your caring situation on yourself and your families
  • meet others and share experiences
  • communicate better with family, friends and professionals
  • feel confident and more in control of your own lives

Caring for Me and You is for anyone living with a long-term health condition and caring for someone. The course is delivered over 6weeks for 2 hours 30 minutes. It is led by volunteer trainers with lived experience. Course sessions will cover:

  • relaxation techniques
  • dealing with tiredness
  • exercise
  • eating healthily
  • coping with depression
  • planning for the future

We don't have a caring for me and you course scheduled currently. 

Caring for Me and You carers course registration form

Volunteer opportunities

Do you have personal experience of self-managing any long-term health condition?  Do you have good communication skills and an awareness of disability issues?  

Volunteer trainers

Could you deliver our award-winning 6-week self-management programme for people living with long-term health conditions? 

Information volunteer

Could you deliver leaflets and promotional material relating to the EPP to doctors’ surgeries and local hospitals within your locality?

Could you support trainers when they deliver a course in the community by setting up the venue and assisting them?

Telephone Christine on 01726 873253 or email our volunteer team.

Resources

Expert patient programme leaflet [pdf] 170KB

Joining Instructions for Participants [docx] 21KB

Review and Evaluation of Mindfulness-Based iPhone Apps[pdf] 443KB

Conditions

Diet

Caring

Exercise

Other

Contact information

Please telephone 01579 373 500 or 07824 598 626.