13th October 2005

1.30 - 4.00pm

Bullion Hall, Chester-le-Street

The Expert Patient Programme is an NHS-based training programme that provides opportunities to people who live with long-term chronic conditions to develop new skills to manage their condition better on a day-to-day basis. Recognising that people living with chronic illness are often in the best position to know what they need to manage their own condition, and that provided with the necessary “self-management” skills, they can make a tangible impact on their disease and quality of life more generally.

A new programme is about to start in County Durham. Held at Bullion Hall in Chester le Street this course is designed to be ME/CFS specific. This is a six-week course held on the same day and time each week up until Thursday 17th November 2005. If you would like to register please contact the office. There are other courses running in various locations across the North East covering chronic illness generally, to find out where they are, and to read stories from those who have attended the course visit http://www.expertpatients.nhs.uk

We would like to say Congratulation to Vivien Jones, Vice-Chair of ME North East and also the group leader for the Derwentside ME Support Group. Having attended the programme herself she then went on to train to deliver the programme. Having successfully completed the course she is now a qualified tutor and raring to go.