Education for Health celebrates its 30th anniversary
Education for Health is celebrating 30 years of improving the lives of people with long term conditions.
The education charity will mark this important milestone by sharing the stories of 30 people involved in its success on its website and social media channels – one each day in June.
It is also offering healthcare professionals the opportunity to apply for 30th anniversary bursaries and attend a number of its workshops for just £30
Chief Executive, Monica Fletcher OBE, said thanks to the ambition, passion and hard work of its staff, Trainers, Trustees and partners that the charity has grown from humble beginnings into a highly respected leader in providing education for health care professionals.
“It’s time to celebrate, to thank those who have contributed to our success, reflect on our achievements and make ambitious plans for the future,” she said.
“Over the years we have empowered many thousands of health care professionals, not just in the UK but around the world, to improve the lives of their patients. This is something we are immensely proud of.
“And while we have grown and evolved significantly over the past 30 years we have remained true to our founder’s vision, which is that we exist to improve the lives of people with long term conditions.”
Greta Barnes MBE founded the Asthma Training Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1987 as she was aware that too many patients with asthma in the community (and secondary care) were being seen in an emergency, and sometimes life threatening, situation.
She believed route to improved management lay in organised preventive care, personally tailored treatment and the giving of practical advice as well as regular follow up and review.
In the early days students attended a three-day course in Stratford-upon-Avon and were awarded the Diploma in Asthma Care. Within two years of being set up a regional training network had been established to cope with demand.
Today Education for Health delivers education and training across a wide range of long term conditions including respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In 2016 it educated more than 4,800 individuals and ran 340 courses ranging from workshops to level 5, 6 and 7 modules. The charity also delivers bespoke training to meet the specific needs of commissioners in
the NHS and other organisations, and provides a number of free-to-access online resources. Advocacy, influencing and research activities are an integral part of Education for Health’s activities. All of the charity’s education leads and trainers are practising clinicians who sit on a wide range of specialist networks, advisory boards, voluntary, NHS and professional bodies, and guideline development groups.
Education for Health believes in taking a collaborative approach and works with many partners in industry, the NHS and other charities.
Monica explained: “We work hard to raise awareness of the importance of an educated workforce and impart our knowledge and expertise to influence key reports, policies and guidelines.
“By doing so we are able to share our knowledge more widely to contribute to the body of science in long term conditions, a key area of activity for us and one we are very proud of.”
As for the next 30 years, Education for Health has ambitious plans for the future. “The charity’s role in helping to create a well informed and well-educated workforce will be
more important than ever and we will explore new ways of working to have a positive impact on the lives of even more people with long term conditions,” explained Monica.
“Above all, we will remained focussed on improving the lives of many more patients and doing the best we can to empower, encourage and support with long term conditions to look after themselves, manage their conditions and navigate health services.”
Find out more about Education for Health at www.educationforhealth.org or find the charity
on facebook and twitter @EdforHealth