A man who reduced his diabetes blood glucose level from 120 to 38 following a ‘shock’ diagnosis has praised self-management courses for patients and their carers as a ‘lifeline’.
Alan Lawrie, of Penrhyn Bay, Conwy, 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 said the programme was so valuable that he now volunteers as a programme tutor to help other people.
Thanks to an exciting new partnership between the Bevan Commission and NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, it is now hoped that more people living with long-term conditions and their carers will be able to gain the information and skills to better manage their health. This will help them to live healthier lives while reducing pressures on the NHS.
Alan 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 to help ourselves- 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 for people.
EPP Cymru is part of NHS Wales Performance and Improvement, which has teamed up with the Bevan Commission, Wales’s leading independent health and care think tank, in a two-year partnership to help improve access to self-management.
The partnership will look at how the Bevan Commission can help develop EPP Cymru in the future. It will explore ways to expand its reach, work more closely with other services, and make a bigger difference across health and social care in Wales.
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 drawing upon the independent lens and credibility 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 provides the information and skills for people to change their behaviour. 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 also 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.
