Wakefield NHS programme re-launched with the help of local patients
A South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust programme that helps people who have an ongoing illness or condition has re-launched in the Wakefield district.
The re-launch took place at Fieldhead in Wakefield and included the premiere of specially made films featuring local people who have benefitted from the programme.
The Wakefield Expert Patient Programme (EPP) is a self management programme designed to give people more control by teaching new skills for managing and improving their health. It is a 6 week course that takes place in local community venues and it is run by NHS volunteers who have been participants on the programme and are given special training.
To help local people and professionals find out more about EPP a series of short films have been made and launched alongside new publicity materials for GP surgeries. In the films eight people tell their stories; describing their health conditions and the impact the course has had.
Lynn Daniel, EPP co-ordinator explained, “The films powerfully convey the difference that our tools and techniques can make to the day-to-day lives of people with a wide range of long term conditions including diabetes, heart failure, depression, arthritis, autism, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
“We are very grateful to the people who agreed to be filmed; they have a range of ongoing illnesses or conditions but they all had one thing in common – they wanted to control their condition, not let their condition control them.
“By sharing their health conditions and experiences we hope it will lead other local people to an EPP course so they too can discover the fantastic life-changing benefits it can offer. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself. So, doesn’t it make sense that the same will be true when it comes to managing your health condition?”
Dr Phil Earnshaw, a local GP and Chair of NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group appears in a film and said, “The benefits of EPP are very clear. As a doctor I see people that are better motivated and have better controlled long term conditions – we’re definitely creating better-educated patients and I think it leads to a more constructive dialogue. One little side effect is that patients need to attend their doctor less.”
Courses are held at a variety of venues across the Wakefield district and start on regular basis. To find out more about EPP or to watch the films visit www.WakefieldEPP.co.uk or call 01977 665732.
