Could you be an Expert Patient?
24 January, 2014
The Expert Patients Programme in Hull is a six week course that helps people with long term health conditions manage their condition and improve their quality of life.
The course is provided by City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP CIC) and is delivered by volunteer tutors, who themselves have experienced long term health conditions and understand the issues that participants may be feeling.
By covering subjects such as, dealing with pain and tiredness, healthy eating and planning for the future, the sessions are able to help participants to develop skills and techniques to manage their condition and feel more confident and in control of their lives.
In order to meet the demand in 2014, the programme needs to recruit more tutors, anybody who has had experience of long term health conditions can put themselves forward to be a tutor. The role will be voluntary, although expenses and travelling costs will be reimbursed. Volunteers will be fully trained and assessed before they start taking sessions.
Eileen Macfarlane, Volunteer Coordinator for CHCP CIC has said, “The tutors themselves really benefit from delivering the programme. Many say that helping other people is self-rewarding and that by sharing skills and experiences with others makes you focus on what you can do, rather than what you can’t.”
Anyone who would like to be a tutor, or would like further information regarding the Expert Patients Programme, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, The Carers’ Information and Support Service (CISS), 30 King Edward Street, Hull HU1 3SS; Telephone 01482 336298 or email carersinfo@nhs.net.
The closing date to apply to be a tutor is 28th February 2014 and you will need to be available for training on 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th March, between 9am and 4pm. All candidates will be subject to a DBS check.
