22/09/2005
PCTs in Gloucestershire this month want to draw attention to the contribution that Expert Patient Volunteer Tutors make towards helping people with long term health conditions to help themselves.
2005 is the International Year of the Volunteer, and September's theme is 'Disability'. Many of the people who attend Expert Patient courses live with a disability every day of their lives. Our volunteer Expert Patient Tutors, who themselves live with a chronic health condition, give up their time, free of charge, to help others to cope better with their daily lives, by passing on the skills and techniques that the Expert Patient Programme offers.
Becky Parish, Assistant Director, Community Involvement, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury PCT, said: "We would not be able to run these courses without the support and commitment of our Volunteer Tutors. We know from the feedback that we receive from course participants that the work that they do is very much appreciated and is making a difference to people's lives. Thank you Tutors!"
Expert Patient Coordinator and Volunteer Tutor, Chris Paisley said: "We know that people often have a wealth of experience and knowledge about the challenges associated with living with long term health conditions. By examining this experience and sharing it with others people can become more confident about living and coping with their own illness".
Expert Patient Tutor, Brian Molloy, said: "I decided to become a tutor after attending a course myself as a participant. I thought to myself, I can do that, and I did. I went for a three day training course paid for by the PCT; where I was trained to deliver the course, since then I have been involved with delivering several courses in the county. I would recommend to anyone thinking about becoming a Volunteer Tutor to attend a course first, so that they can experience the course as a participant."
The unique programme, brought over from the USA consists of a course of 6 group sessions designed to help people manage their condition on a day-to-day basis. The course is entirely funded by the NHS with no cost for patients. The course is run by our Expert Patient Volunteer Tutors, trained patients themselves, rather than by health service staff, and is aimed at patients with long-term chronic conditions such as Diabetes, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Asthma and Multiple Sclerosis.
The next Expert Patient course in the county will begin on 24 October for 6 weeks. It will be held in Cheltenham and is open to all Gloucestershire residents. Further courses are planned for Lydney and Cirencester areas during the autumn.
The course is designed to help patients learn life skills to manage their condition. It covers a range of areas including
. how to deal with frustration, fatigue, pain, isolation and other problems
. the right exercise for maintaining and improving strength, flexibility and endurance
. how to manage symptoms
. communicating effectively with family, friends and health professionals
. good diet and nutrition
. relaxation techniques
. how to evaluate new treatments and information
Contact Sheldene Pearson on 01242 548826 to reserve a place on the next course in Cheltenham. For Lydney/Cirencester courses please contact Chris Paisley on 01452 891489. Numbers of participants for each course are limited, so people are advised to contact us as soon as possible if they would like to attend.
