Expert Patients Programme Growing in Importance

Posted on 6th Aug

Jackie Rees, the new EPP Admin Assistant, came into post at the end of June which will enable the Co-ordinator to increase the number of courses offered and support the developing Tutor team, as well as continue to promote the Programme to health and social care providers in Plymouth.Two new volunteer Tutors were also appointed in June, bringing the Tutor team to a total of 7 and increasing course capacity for 2008/9.

Wycliffe Surgery give lead

Wycliffe Surgery requested that an in-house EPP courses be made available for patients at the new surgery premises at Cattedown. A letter from the GPs was sent to 239 patients selected from the chronic disease register who live with diabetes, explaining the course benefits. Included with the letter was an EPP leaflet, referral form and a stamped addressed envelope to return completed forms to the surgery. This has proven to be a highly successful exercise, and to date 49 referral forms have been received from patients expressing an interest in participating in an EPP course. Courses are being planned at Wycliffe Surgery to accommodate them in September/October 2008, and will be delivered by the new EPP Tutors, supported by the EPP Co-ordinator. This could be a model for developing future work with GPs.

Jan White, EPP Co-ordinator is excited at the way the Programme is growing and the feed back she is getting from participants. She said, “The feedback we get from people is just fantastic. We get such good comments from people who say it turns their life around. We cannot take away their long term health condition but we can help them to live a better quality of life” She continued. We get comments like:

• Found an effective way of communicating with my GP
• Increased confidence and motivation
• A cathartic experience
• I feel better inside
• I can now deal with my home life
• I don’t feel like the old me; I’m a new woman
  

To find out more about the Expert Patients Programme click here