Quick links:
- What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Who can I refer?
- How to refer
- Clinic days and times
- Our team
- Contact the service
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation service is dedicated to delivering personalised care that empowers patients through education, exercise, and support while fostering self-management. We strive to create a compassionate, inclusive, and collaborative environment that promotes physical, emotional, and social well-being, ensuring that every patient can breathe easier and live life to the fullest.
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation service forms part of the wider Community Respiratory Physiotherapy Team.
What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation is an exercise and education programme designed for people with lung disease. It focuses on tailored physical exercise and information that helps people to better understand and manage their condition/s and symptoms, including feeling short of breath.
Our Pulmonary Rehabilitation course lasts six weeks, with two sessions each week lasting 60-90 minutes, and includes an individually prescribed exercise and education programme including aerobic and resistance exercise.
Our courses are delivered in groups of 8-12 people and are led by our Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapists, alongside our Respiratory Therapy Assistants.
Evidence shows that accessing Pulmonary Rehabilitation improves people’s ability to walk further, helps them feel less tired and breathless when carrying out day-to-day activities. It has also been shown to support better self-management and reduction in exacerbations, reduction in numbers of acute and emergency admissions and reduction in primary care appointments.
More information about Pulmonary Rehabilitation can be found at Asthma + Lung UK and NHS.UK
Who can I refer?
You can refer any adult with a chronic respiratory disease who is functionally limited by their condition with a Doncaster GP.
Please see our inclusion and exclusion criteria below.
How to refer
Referrals can be made by any healthcare professional (eg Consultant, GP, Nurse, Physiotherapist).
If you require a copy of our referral form please email dbth.physioreferrals@nhs.net or contact us on 01709 649190.
Please complete the form in full and email to dbth.physioreferrals@nhs.net. Please note incomplete referrals will be returned and this can delay care.
Please note we offer a rapid access programme for patients recently discharged from hospital following an exacerbation of their respiratory condition or for those experiencing three or more exacerbations per year. Please ensure this information is stated on the referral so that we may triage appropriately.
Inclusion Criteria
- Confirmed chronic respiratory diagnosis (excluding Asthma as a stand-alone diagnosis)
- Consider themselves to be functionally limited by the disease (MRC 3 or above)
- Medically stable and optimised medication (including stable BP)
- Discussion had with HCP regarding Pulmonary Rehabilitation and information leaflet provided with subsequent consent for referral, committed to undertake physical exercise for 6/52, twice a week.
Exclusion Criteria
- Uncontrolled hypertension (BP>150/90) or a BP >130/90 with Aortic Stenosis, Aortic Aneurysm, IHD
- Uncontrolled arrhythmias, heart failure, angina
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) > 4.5cm, thoracic AAA >4cm
- Moderate to Severe Aortic Stenosis, MI in last 6 weeks
- Recent pulmonary embolus
- Cataract surgery 2/52
- Oxygen sats <92% at rest
- Cognitive impairment that means they are unable to follow instructions and/or physical limitations which mean they cannot perform a walking test and gym based exercise (i.e. cycling, step ups, bicep curls)
- Completed PR in the last 12/12 unless recent hospital admission with exacerbation.
Clinic days and times
Doncaster Royal Infirmary
Tuesdays and Fridays 1:30 – 4pm
Montagu Hospital
Tuesdays and Thursdays 1 – 3:30pm
Our team
Laura Lomas, Clinical Team Lead
Ameena Hussain, Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist
Victoria Wright, Respiratory Therapy Assistant
Bethany Trout, Respiratory Therapy Assistant
Shannon Nettleton, Respiratory Therapy Assistant
Adewale Adeoye, Respiratory Administrator.
Contact the service
If you have any queries, please email: dbth.physioreferrals@nhs.net and state ‘Pulmonary Rehab’ as the subject. We aim to respond within 48 hours.
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