People in Bradford are leading the way in learning to live well with long-term health conditions – thanks to a new course which has been designed and delivered by patients for patients.

Almost 40 women from the district are due to complete an Expert Patient Programme (EPP) course this week. The six-week course has helped them learn more about how to manage their health condition and stay well and in control.

NHS Bradford City Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has funded the course in response to patients saying they wanted more locally-delivered education and support about how to look after themselves, while living with a long-term condition including such as diabetes, heart problems, asthma and epilepsy.

Bradford patient Zulfiqar Hussain told CCG clinical leaders how the programme helped him after he suffered a heart attack.

He said the course had made a big difference to his life by teaching him how to stay well and manage his condition through lifestyle changes before he went on to become an EPP tutor.

Max Mclean, lay member for patient and public involvement at Bradford City CCG, said: “We know from Zulfiqar and other patients how beneficial the EPP can be and that’s why we wanted to fund these courses and provide some really practical support to our patients.”