WPPPG Meetings

PATIENT PARTICIPATION
MEETINGS AND EVENTS

Forthcoming events

Monday April 28

 Lower Back Pain – 
Putting theory into practice. 
This is a follow-up talk from last October’s very successful evening. 
 7.00pm for 7.15pm at the Health Centre. 

 Please use rear entrance.  

 

Alton Health Fayre – 
This will take place on 6th September 2008 
at the Alton Assembly Rooms between 10am and 3pm

 

CAN YOU HELP US?  
We are looking for people with energy and ideas to join our Committee to help plan and organise future projects. We support the Health Centre staff by organising events to promote health education and awareness and would like some fresh ideas to help us plan for the future.

If you can spare a little time and would like to help, please try to attend our AGM 
or email WP-PPG@thewilsonpractice.co.uk or drop a note into the Practice addressed to the WP-PPG.

Kate Stabb
Chairman

EXPERT PATIENTS PROGRAMME

The Expert Patients Programme (EPP) has just successfully completed a second course in Alton . These six week courses are FREE and open to anyone with a long-term chronic health condition such as asthma, MS, arthritis (rheumatoid or osteoarthritis), diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, depression etc. The courses are designed to help carers of people with a long-term illness. The groups are small (not more than 15 or 16 at the most) and everyone who has attended one of the courses has said how much they have benefited from them. The courses do not offer medical help but seek to improve the quality of life of those attending. It has been observed that many of the difficulties one has in living with a long-term chronic condition are similar though the health problem may be very different. The tutors themselves all have long-term conditions and are all volunteers.

The courses last for 6 consecutive weeks of one session per week of 2 and a half hours. It is hoped to run another course in this area, possibly in Borden, in early 2007.

If you wish to know more about the EPP, please call the co-ordinator on 01483 782775. Leaflets about the programme are available by our notice board at the Health Centre.

STEPS TO HEALTH

If you have an interest in walking and would like to find out more about local walking groups, or would like to help others who are interested in assisting the development of a walking scheme in the Alton area please contact Terri Bryant, Walk Leader Training Coordinator on 01730 234067 or terri.bryant@easthants.gov.uk.

MEN’S WEIGHT LOSS AND FITNESS GROUP

This group meets in the Alton Health Centre in Anstey Road on Thursday evenings from 6.30 – 7.30. Graham Cooke, also one of our Committee Members, is now helping this group. He is a very experienced Personal Fitness Trainer and can help anyone who would like to lose weight and become fitter. The current members of the group have expressed a wish to have another Men Only Weight Watchers Group. Weight Watchers will begin a course on Thursday, 11th January at 6.30 – 7.30 pm, however they do need a minimum of 30 people. Any male member of the public is welcome to join these sessions.

Weight Watchers make a charge for the six sessions of £35. All enquiries concerning these sessions should be made to 01420 84758.

This will be a very timely class to help everyone who is interested to lose those extra pounds that may have been added during the Christmas festivities.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             

PREVIOUS EVENT

TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION

A talk was held on the above topic on 9th October at the Health Centre and was well attended by about 50 members of the public. There were two speakers who explained the different treatments for helping and healing people with depression and the audience was assured that taking medication was not habit forming and statistics showed very good results. The evening culminated in a question and answer session with lively participation from the audience. Extremely encouraging feedback was received from the public, many of whom were very grateful for the opportunity to discuss the problem in an open forum.