Our Respiratory Service is a referral service from a GP, consultant or other health practitioner for people who have been diagnosed with a chronic lung condition such as Chronic Bronchitis, Emphysema or Pulmonary Fibrosis.

A chronic condition is classed as a condition that has lasted for more than three months. Chronic lung diseases cannot be cured but our Respiratory Service will help you manage your condition and improve your day to day life.

After completing our programmes, people tell us that they are able to walk further and feel more confident about managing their health issues, such as shortness of breath.

They are also able to resume the activities of daily living that many take for granted, such as shopping, gardening, playing with grandchildren, going upstairs, walking the dog and dancing.

What can we offer?

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme

This is an eight week, twice-weekly programme of tailored exercise and education delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of clinical staff and expert volunteers (the Pulmonary Rehab Buddies). The programme is currently being delivered remotely via Zoom to patients in their own homes due to COVID restrictions, but will eventually be offered using a blended approach of face to face gym-based sessions and remote rehab.

Early Rehab (Post Exacerbation Fast Track) Programme

This programme is for patients newly discharged from hospital, following an exacerbation of a chronic respiratory disease. If you have consented to a referral to our service, within a couple of days of your discharge from hospital, we will see you at home to start your rehabilitation. We will work with you, tailoring our intervention to your specific needs. We will work with you in your own home and then you will be offered a place on a once or twice-weekly eight week Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme. Depending on what is most appropriate for you as an individual, you may be offered either a gym-based programme or our Remote Early Rehab programme, which is delivered to you in your own home via Zoom (if you do not currently have broadband and/or a tablet device or laptop/computer, we can help with this).

Special Physiotherapist Led Clinics

• Respiratory assessments
• Quality of life assessments
• Inhaler technique review
• Acupuncture and Acupressure
• Hyperventilation Syndrome management

The Respiratory Service also provides:

• Home visits, assessments and rehabilitation
• Onward referral, where appropriate, for:
  • Specialist Dietetic Clinic for patients with a BMI of less than 19 or more than 30
  • Oxygen assessment
  • Mental health support

I loved coming. Everyone was very welcoming, nice and considerate, nothing was too much trouble.

Our volunteer Buddies make all the difference

Essential to the success of our service are our fantastic volunteers, the majority of whom have been through our programme and suffer from a chronic respiratory disease themselves.

Our Volunteer Buddies act as an extra pair of eyes and ears in rehabilitation sessions and also act as positive role models who can offer support and motivation for people going through what they have already been through.

Support after you have completed your programme

There are a number of groups and activities available at HOPE designed to help you apply what you have learnt from your time with us and also give you an opportunity to try new activities and meet up and socialise with other like-minded people.

Click here to find out more about our HOPE activities and clubs