Expert Patients Programme (EPP)
Living with a long-term condition?
The Expert Patient Programme can help you to help yourself by helping you to:
- learn pain management
- learn relaxation techniques
- increase exercise
- deal with fatigue
- manage medication
- cope with low mood
- improve your quality of life
What is the Expert Patients Programme?
It is a free self-management course run over six weekly sessions of two and half hours. Any adult with a long-term condition can ask to attend a programme. The programme helps people to learn self-management techniques to help live with their condition. What is special about the course is that the tutors themselves have a long-term health condition.
What topics are covered on the course?
How to:
- reduce and manage stress
- understand more about using medication correctly
- manage depression that can come with a long-term condition
- recognise and act on symptoms
- take some physical exercise
- communicate with family, friends and health professionals
- develop healthy eating
- plan and set goals
Where, when and how long?
Dates for 2011 / 2012 coming soon.
How do I get a place on the Expert Patients Programme?
- telephone: 01305 213042
- e-mail: expert.patient@dhuft.nhs.uk
We will send you an application form, along with all the information you need to join.
Please use the links in related files for our leaflet on living with a long-term condition.
What if I am a carer of someone with a long-term condition?
For carers we provide the Looking After Me course. It has been designed to help you with:
- relaxation techniques
- dealing with tiredness
- healthy eating
- coping with feelings of depression
- communicating with family, friends and
health professionals - planning for the future
Who can take part?
Any adult who gives help to a relative or friend who is ill, disabled, elderly, or in need of emotional support.
How do I join a Looking After Me course?
- telephone: 01305 368900
e-mail: expertpatient@dorset-pct.nhs.uk
Alternatively open the document 'Looking After Me' in the related files section on this page. Fill it in and post it to the Freepost address on the leaflet.
