Helping you to help yourself

1:36pm Thursday 16th October 2008

IF you're one of the 15 million people in England living with a long-term condition, then you'll know exactly how frustrating and life-affecting it can become.

Long-term conditions are those which cannot, at present, be cured but can be controlled by medication and other therapies. They include coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The probability of having a long term condition increases with age – which is why it is vitally important for all of us to lead a healthy lifestyle to prevent and reduce the incidence of it happening.

Most people who have a long term condition are leading full and active lives with only occasional contact with health professionals. They provide much of their care themselves, altering drug doses and adapting their lifestyles in response to subtle changes in symptoms. However, up to a quarter of those affected have more severe symptoms and are at higher risk of hospital admission.

How common is chronic disease?

Arthritis, in some form, affects about 8.5 million people in the UK. This includes some 14,500 children.

Asthma is estimated to affect over 3.4 million people in the UK, including 1.5 million children (aged 2-15).

Back pain lasting more than a day was self-reported by 40% of adults in 1998. And 15% of back pain sufferers said they were in pain throughout the year, and approximately 40% of back pain sufferers consulted a general practitioner for help.

Diabetes Mellitus prevalence estimates vary but there are thought to be about 1.5 million doctor-diagnosed cases of diabetes in the UK.

Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder, affecting more than 420,000 people, or one in 130 of the UK population. It can affect people at any age and from any walk of life.

Heart failure prevalence in the UK, based on morbidity studies in general practice, has been estimated to affect about half a million people.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. It is estimated to affect between 80-90,000 people in the UK. It usually strikes people when they are young adults.

Treatment Treatment of these types of conditions can prove costly, both in financial terms and with regard to the amount of time invested by healthcare professionals. About 80% of all GP consultations and 60% of bed days in hospitals are currently dedicated to those suffering from long term conditions. More importantly, these conditions can have an impact on a patient’s quality of life.

In recent national consultations, people have voiced their opinions about what matters most to them in the care and the services they receive.

A number of common themes and key messages have emerged, the key one being the need for services which will support them to remain independent and be provided with more support to help them take care of their own health and well-being.

Self-care and self-management is more than giving people information about their conditions. It’s about acknowledging the patient has a central role in managing care to manage the condition as effectively as possible. Self-management of these conditions can make a significant difference to the quality of life for those suffering from a long term condition. Research has shown that the benefits of self-management include: Reduced severity of symptoms Significant decrease in pain Improved life control and activity Improved resourcefulness and life satisfaction One way in which the Primary Care Trust can help you take control is through providing you with the opportunity to take part in the Expert Patient Programme.

Expert Patient Programme The Expert Patient Programme is a free self-management programme of courses which have been specifically developed for people living with long term conditions. The aim of the programme is to support people to increase their confidence, improve their quality of life and manage their condition better.

Delivered locally by volunteer tutors, who themselves have one or more long term condition, it focuses on some core self-management skills: Managing your symptoms Problem solving Pain and fatigue management Healthy eating Working with your healthcare professional Medical usage Depression management The courses are free and consist of six sessions lasting two-and-a-half hours per week. They are held at various locations across the county.

For further information about the courses or to book, contact Sue Tobey, EPP Co-ordinator, Hereford-shire Primary Care Trust, on 01432 262062, Sue.tobey@ herefordpct. nhs.uk Medicines use review Another way that people can help to manage their condition is to request a medicines use review with a pharmacist to focus on how you are getting on with your medicines. It usually takes place in your local pharmacy (chemist). It is an NHS service – you don’t need to pay for it.

In Herefordshire, you can ask your local community pharmacist for a medicines use review if you are taking regular prescription medication. The review will: Help you to find out more about the medicines you are taking.

Pick up any problems you are having with your medicines.

Improve the effectiveness of your medicines. There may be easier ways to take them, or you may find you need fewer medicines than before.

Get better value for the NHS - making sure that your medicines are right for you prevents unnecessary waste.

Your GP can also arrange this for you.

Contact numbers Carers UK If you need advice about your caring situation you can call CarersLine on 0808 808 7777 www.carersuk.org NHS Direct.

Available 365-days-a-year 24-hours-a-day if you have current health worries: 0845 46 47 NHS Direct can also help you with: Information on a wide range of health topics.

Advice on looking after your health.

Details of local doctors, pharmacists, dentists and support groups.

www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk The Expert Patient Programme Information line 0845 606 6040 and EPP website expertpatients.nhs.uk