New partnership to boost 'lifeline' self-management programmes across Wales

A new partnership between NHS Wales Performance and Improvement and the Bevan Commission will support more people living with long-term conditions and their carers to live healthier lives and reduce pressures on the NHS, by improving access to self-management courses.

Education Programmes for Patients (EPP) Cymru, part of Performance and Improvement, offers self-management courses that support people to have the confidence, information and skills needed to manage healthcare conditions in partnership with health and social care professionals. 

The new two-year partnership with the Bevan Commission, Wales’s leading independent health and care think tank, will look at how EPP Cymru could work in the future, exploring ways to expand its reach, work more closely with other services, and make a bigger difference across health and social care in Wales.

It is hoped that the partnership will enable more people living with long-term conditions to connect with EPP Cymru. People like Alan Lawrie, of Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, who signed up for Education Programmes for Patients (EPP) Cymru’s Diabetes Self-Management course after being told he had the condition in 2023.

Describing his diagnosis as a ‘wake-up call’, Alan reduced his diabetes blood glucose level from 120 to 38 through undertaking the course. He has praised self-management courses as a ‘lifeline’. Having found the programme so valuable, he now volunteers as a programme tutor to help other people.

Alan, a former director of primary care, said: “The course was actually a bit of a shock and helped me reflect on habits such as buying cans of coke or having lots of orange juice and carbs. Some of the complications of diabetes can be losing a limb, having a stroke or having very poor mental health or depression. I think I just didn’t understand the implications until I was diagnosed, and it was a wake-up call for my family too.”

Since completing the course, Alan has become an accredited volunteer tutor to support others. He added: “As a tutor, it’s great to see how the participants change during the six-week course. They are looking for a lifeline, and by week three they are making friends and coming alive. The courses are about rethinking the situation, problem solving and reinforcing all the things we should be doing - such as exercise, having a diet plan and dealing with different emotions.”

Almost half (48%) of people in Wales live with one or more long-term condition, which can lead to anxiety, a lack of confidence, isolation and frequent health appointments. EPP Cymru’s range of courses is designed to improve self-care, reduce loneliness and lead to better health outcomes.

EPP Cymru Self-Management Lead Christine Roach said: “I am thoroughly looking forward to working with the Bevan Commission to identify new opportunities to explore, develop and transform the EPP Cymru programme, ensuring it is both sustainable and fit for the future. 

“Our goal is to expand and future-proof the EPP Cymru offer for NHS Wales and industry by maximising the skills, assets, network and the independent lens that the Bevan Commission brings to the table. Their expertise and perspective will be invaluable to our efforts and I am confident that, together, we can achieve remarkable results for the benefit of all.”

EPP Cymru is based on the urgent need for sustainable, community-based support, which enables behaviour change and promotes sustainable NHS services through prevention and reduced demand. Courses include self-management for chronic conditions, persistent pain, cancer, bone health and HIV, as well as support for carers.

Christine and Training Manager, Jules Godden are part of the Cohort 9 Bevan Exemplar Programme and presented their project, ‘Building Resilient and Resourceful Communities’, at a special showcase in the Senedd earlier this year. Their project aims to establish a National Peer Support Service, with a pilot scheme being described as ‘a lifeline’ by one patient and 97% of participants finding peer support ‘highly effective’.

Volunteer EPP tutors are provided with extensive training and resources to deliver courses online and in the community, and fully supported by a co-tutor at each session. Find out more about EPP Cymru here.

You can also read more about Chris and Jules' EPP Cymru Bevan Exemplar project here.