Converting learning into action: A new co-produced course to improve the lives of people living with Osteoporosis

Following the completion of a successful pilot phase, EPP Cymru has rolled out its Living Well with Osteoporosis Programme to benefit people living with Osteoporosis across Wales.

The co-produced programme, created by NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, in partnership with patients, Dr Inder Singh OBE and the Fracture Liaison Service, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, is designed as both a preventative intervention and a supportive self-management education programme to improve the lives of those already living with Osteoporosis.

The programme has undergone a three-stage pilot process with a total of 41 participants to refine the course format, structure, and content, and to develop a bespoke workbook. Elevated beyond a course handout, the workbook operates as a practical self-management guide that supports participants to consolidate learning, revisit resources, reflect on personal goals and convert learning into action between sessions.

The six-week course helps people become more proactive about their own health by developing knowledge, confidence, and practical skills to support bone health, including the importance of good nutrition and effective problem solving.

Participants learn techniques such as relaxation, mindfulness exercises, and body scan practices to help manage stress, improve wellbeing, and build resilience when living with a long-term condition.

The programme also encourages individuals to work in partnership with their healthcare professionals to make informed decisions, improve self-management, and achieve better health outcomes.

The group format reduces feelings of isolation by allowing attendees to meet others with shared experience, creating a supportive and positive learning environment for peer learning and group discussions. Feedback from the pilot highlighted how important a group approach is to the course, one participant shared: “By attending the course, I met people who experience similar problems. Having the opportunity to discuss issues gave us emotional support from one another.”

Participants who took part in the pilot scheme noted feeling supported and able to voice emotions while gaining new confidence through informative content delivered by highly regarded healthcare professionals, with one participant commenting: “This course has given me a deeper understanding of how to manage my osteoporosis. It has given me the tools and confidence to be proactive.”

Dr Anthony Gibson, Medical Director, NHS Wales Performance and improvement, said: “It’s fantastic to see such positive feedback from the pilot of this programme, it’s a great example of how working collaboratively we can put people and patients at the heart of an initiative to create bespoke support to improve outcomes for people living with chronic conditions such as Osteoporosis.”

Upon evaluation, 75 per cent of the final pilot reported a significant increase in knowledge and understanding. 75 per cent also said they would use what they had learned to better manage their condition and 83 per cent rated the course 10/10.

Dr Inderpal Singh OBE, National Clinical Lead for Bone Health, Wales approached EPP Cymru to explore the development of this programme and delivered training as part of its pilot.

Dr Singh said: “A fragility fracture is not an isolated event; it is a manifestation of a chronic disease that requires long-term management. Education is one of the most effective tools we have to improve bone health outcomes. By empowering patients with the knowledge and confidence to understand and manage their condition, we can improve health literacy, support better treatment adherence, reduce avoidable NHS demand, and ultimately help prevent fractures and save lives through earlier intervention and sustained long-term management.

“We are now ready to spread and scale this programme across Wales, and I would like to sincerely thank the EPP Cymru team for their dedication, partnership, and support in making this vision a reality.”

“We are now ready to spread and scale this programme across Wales, building on EPP Cymru’s established presence within Health Boards, to support consistent delivery at a local level, and I would like to sincerely thank the entire EPP Cymru team for their dedication, partnership and support in making this vision a reality.”

For more information about EPP Cymru and the Living Well with Osteoporosis Programme, please email EPPCymru@wales.nhs.uk.