A new initiative which aims to help people with chronic long-term illnesses has been launched in Pembrokeshire. The Expert Patients Programme is an NHS-based training programme to help people living with a long-term chronic health condition to cope better and to live life to the full through improved self-management techniques. Pembrokeshire Local Health Board hopes that the self-help programme will cut the number of unnecessary hospital and GP visits made by chronically-ill people while improving their quality of life. Free courses will be offered throughout the county by two specially trained tutors, who themselves have a long-term health condition. Consisting of six weekly sessions, each lasting two and a half hours, the aim is to improve people's ability to cope with their condition by covering a wide range of issues, such as how to manage pain and fatigue. Director of nursing Caroline Oakley said the programme will give people a greater understanding of their illnesses and how to deal with it. She said: "This scheme has potential to make a very real difference to people's lives and give people the ability to cope with their condition on a day to day basis. The aim is to empower people so that they understand their illness, can communicate better with doctors and manage their pain." The scheme has already been piloted in Swansea and Gwynedd and similar courses are already running in England. They have been shown to make a significant impact to the lives of those people taking part. An audit of 250 courses in England showed a 30 percent reduction in levels of depression and intensity of pain, along with a nine per cent drop in visits to GPs and a six per cent drop in A & E visits. Currently, 34 percent of adults in Wales report a long-term health condition and health chiefs believe that chronic diseases will be the leading cause of disability by 2020. Anyone interested in taking part in one of the courses should contact Claire or Caroline on 01792 784844.
