A MEDICAL programme to help patients manage their illnesses more effectively will be launched next month.
Durham Dales Primary Care Trust will start its sixth Expert Patient Programme on Thursday, April 7.
The aim is to help people with long-term medical conditions, such as arthritis, asthma and multiple sclerosis, to reduce symptoms and alleviate pain.
Courses are designed to run alongside medical treatment and give people more control and a better quality of life.
Frank Taggart, public involvement facilitator at the Durham Dales trust, said: "The Expert Patient Programme is a fantastic scheme because it is all about people helping other people with the same illnesses and conditions.
"Doctors and medical staff have found that the programmes help to improve relationships with patients and actually reduce consultation time or frequency of visits as the patient feels more empowered and in control."
The courses are free and will run until Thursday, May 12.
The first session will be held at Evenwood Church Hall, in Evenwood.
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