Keep Active, Breathe Better Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme (part of the Enhanced Respiratory Service) - Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale (HMR) Community

Welcome to our Keep Active, Breathe Better Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme at Heywood, Middleton, and Rochdale (HMR). The service sits in our overall Enhanced Respiratory Service (ERS) for HMR.

We offer an 8-week course of gentle exercise and educational talks focused on your breathing/respiratory condition.

For many people, the programme has been proven to improve your exercise tolerance helping you breathe more efficiently, help you feel better mentally such as increasing your confidence in activities of daily living, and perhaps most importantly, gives you tools and strategies to provide you with better understanding and management of your lung condition.
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Exercise and knowledge of your condition are essential components in helping managing symptoms of lung disease. On referral to our programme, you will first have a face to face a consultation with one of our dedicated, friendly, health care professionals. This could be with a physiotherapist, occupational therapist, or specialist respiratory nurse. We will review your medications, check your blood pressure, and look at every way we can enhance your breathing before starting the programme.

Following this consultation, we will get you started on our exercise programme at a location closest to you. Week 1 we will set goals, check how far you can walk, and ask you about any symptoms you may be experiencing with your breathing. The exercise classes then run twice a week for 6 weeks and last roughly 90 minutes each. This is around 45-60 minutes of gentle exercise tailored specifically to you and your ability, followed by around 30 minutes of education on topics such as how to clear your chest, conserving energy, and relaxation to name a few.

The group sizes can range from anywhere between 6 to 15 people at any one time. Social distancing is still in place for safety and increased confidence in these current times we live in. The group setting is invaluable to people as opinions/ideas are shared and new social connections made. The health care professional’s education sessions give ample time to discuss in group or one to one after class, any concerns, or thoughts that you may not have had time to discuss in a shorter consultation with your GP for example.

Classes are run at venues in Rochdale, Castleton, Middleton, and we hope to be in Heywood sometime in the future!

On week 8 we hope you feel great, know more, and have new tools/strategies to implement into your daily life going forward. We really look forward to welcoming you onto our programme. Please contact your GP to enquire about our programme.

For even more information, please visit our Greater Manchester ‘Keep Active, Breathe Better, Pulmonary rehabilitation Programme’ website. It includes video testimonials of people who have attended previously, and lots of information related to services where you live. The website is available in any language.

Visit: https://www.pulmonaryrehabgm.co.uk 

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Enhanced Respiratory Service

Rochdale Infirmary

Whitehall Street

Rochdale

Pulmonary rehabilitation shall be offered to: 

• Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD or other chronic respiratory disease (included but not limited to asthma, Interstitial lung disease (ILD), bronchiectasis, multifactorial breathlessness) 

• MRC grade 3-5. Grade 2 where breathlessness is functionally limiting the patient  

Exclusions – unstable cardiovascular, cardiac event in last 6 weeks, MSK condition that would make it difficult to exercise in a class, lack of motivation, significant cognitive or psychological impairment 

Referrals can be made using this referral form to hmrspecialistrespiratory@nca.nhs.uk

British Lung Foundation 

Very useful information about different lung conditions accessible to all 

https://www.blf.org.uk 

Breathe Easy – meet the 1st Wednesday of the month (March – Dec) 1.30 – 3.30 Castleton Community Centre For more information contact Asthma and Lung UK (British Lung Foundation) – 0300 222 5800 

Alternatively,  Margaret Darling – 07890137202 or  Juliet Smith  - 01706 517771 

Yourtrust 

Ongoing exercise classes once Pulmonary rehabilitation is completed. They also undertake many different exercise groups in the local community like Gentle exercise, aqua relax, and introduction to yoga/aerobics to name a few.  

w: www.yourtrustrochdale.co.uk 

Living Well Service 

Weight management, smoking cessation, lifestyle support, getting more active. 

w: www.livingwellrochdale.com 

ThinkingAhead – IAPT Service 

Thinking Ahead provide free NHS psychological therapies to help who are feeling distressed by difficult events in their lives as well as people with common mental health difficulties. 

w: www.thebiglifegroup.com 

Circle 

Learning new things, and enjoying your hobbies and interests with others in the local community. 

w: www.hmrcircle.org.uk t: 0800 112 3440 t: 01706 751 165 

Breathe Easy 

Castleton Community Centre 

Adult Care Services 

w: www.rochdale.gov.uk e: Adult.care@rochdale.gov.uk t: 0300 303 8886 – Mon to Fri 8.30am to 4.45pm t: 0170 651 7771 

The feedback we receive from service users is invaluable and here is what some have said in 2022.  

• All the members of staff were lovely. Made me feel welcomed and relax. Well done staff

• Would like to thank all the staff here trying to help us. Wonderful 

• The sessions were absolutely brilliant. The team were so friendly, kind, supportive and caring and have helped me move forward and feel stronger. Thank you all so much- you are a fab team

• Attending the group has increased my confidence, the group has made me stronger 

• I found everyone really lovely and helpful 

• To thank everybody, has been helpful and the interaction has been great  

• Feel very confident that I can control my breathing & stress 

‘The HMR Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service aims to lead the way in community-based exercise classes designed to enhance quality of life for people with respiratory disease. Using accredited evidence and national guidelines as blueprints to the service structure - our mission is to encourage, deliver, and present a happy and harmonious atmosphere for all staff and service users, whilst respecting equality and diversity always’ 

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