Press release – 13 March 2019
2019/007

Wye Valley NHS Trust first in England to provide free self-management course for people and families living with and beyond cancer

Wye Valley NHS Trust is the first Trust in England to provide a free six week course to help people manage the day to day impact of living with cancer.

The course is open to people and families living with and beyond cancer and starts on 9 May at the Kindle Centre, in Hereford.  

It includes managing symptoms, coping with fatigue, healthy eating, relaxation, and support for patients, carers and family members. 

Sue Tobey, Expert Patient’s Programme Co-ordinator at Wye Valley NHS Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be able to run this course in Herefordshire as a pilot, which is based on the Expert Patient Programme self-management programme that has helped to improve the lives of many people living locally. 

“It’s a great opportunity to empower people to take more control of their lives by learning new ways to optimise their health and wellbeing, and offer support to their families and carers. 

“It’s often not until people take part that they realise there are other ways to improve their quality of life, which can simply be sharing experiences and tips with other people living with cancer.  

“If this pilot is successful we plan to run further courses for people living with cancer in Herefordshire”. 

To find out more or book a place call Sue Tobey on 01432 364463 or 07814477709, or email Sue.Tobey@wvt.nhs.uk

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Note to editors

Wye Valley NHS Trust is a provider health services across Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust exists to improve the wellbeing, independence and health of the people we serve. We are the leading provider of health care in Herefordshire.

By working closely with our partners, we can make good our promise to deliver a quality of care we would want for ourselves, our families and our friends.

With an estimated annual turnover of around £180 million, we employ around 2,700 plus staff. We aim to build new relationships between our staff, patients, service users and their carers with the wider community.