Chronic cough
Everyone has experienced a bad cough at some point in their life, often along with cold or flu-like symptoms. For some people the cough can become long-term. We don’t understand what causes this, but researchers in Manchester are working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Alongside this research, we're raising the profile of chronic cough and inviting people with the condition to get involved.
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Chronic cough is a cough that lasts longer than 8 weeks, but it isn’t related to Covid, asthma or COPD.
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It affects around 12% of the UK population and can have a debilitating impact on people’s lives.
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People who experience chronic cough often feel that their condition is trivialised and not taken seriously by those around them.
Join a new online creative project
We're bringing together an online community of people who live with cough, carers and researchers to share stories and knowledge in friendly and informal sessions.
If you’d like to take part and have had a cough for 2+ years, or care for someone who does we’d love to hear from you.
You’ll be supported to develop your own personal stories and you’ll have opportunities to develop new creative skills, work alongside researchers, physiotherapists, speech therapists and meet people with similar experiences to you.
You don’t need any experience of creative activities to take part but we are looking for people who enjoy taking part in workshops and learning new skills.
If you take part in the full programme, you’ll receive £450 to compensate you for your time.
What’s involved?
Let’s Talk About Cough takes place between March to June 2022, and includes
4 online 2 hour creative workshops in small groups. You’ll get to try a range of skills including storytelling, creative writing, comedy, poetry, podcasting, visual art.
Weekly drop-ins, an informal online chat where you can grab a brew and talk to other members of the group
Creative tasks to do in your own time between creative workshops
We’ll send you a Let’s Talk About Cough kit in the post at the start of the project which will include all the materials that you’ll need to take part.
Online sessions will take place on Zoom at a regular time slots 10am-12pm on weekdays (dates tbc). We’ll support you if you’re not familiar with the technology.
To find out more
Contact Emily by email at emily.howlett@mft.nhs.uk for an application form and more information.
If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to an online welcome meeting, where you’ll meet the team, hear about the programme, and get to know the other people involved. The Welcome meeting will take places on the following dates (you only need to attend one)
Wednesday 16th March: 10am-12pm
Thursday 17th March: 10am-12pm
Friday 18th March: 10am - 12pm
If you would have experience of Chronic Cough and would like to take part but can’t attend this time, we’d still love to hear from you! Please do get in touch with emily.howlett@mft.nhs.uk as there will be other opportunities to get involved in the future.
Meet Joan
Joan is a member of the Let’s Talk About Cough team who has been coughing for 30 years. Read her story here.