Pennine Lung Service - Royal Oldham

Pennine Lung Service is a multidisciplinary team consisting of Specialist Nurses, Specialist Physiotherapists and Assistant Practitioners. We offer a variety of services, for patients with a respiratory illness, throughout Oldham.  

If you are a GP from the Milltown Alliance Primary Care Network please use this form to access the breathlessness pathway pilot. 

Community Respiratory Service

Acute Service

We provide timely care to manage acutely unwell patients at home avoiding hospital admission, where possible. We provide home visits and monitoring via a virtual ward. A self-referral system is in place, patients can contact for advice and support at any time. This is then triaged by a member of the clinical staff and appropriate treatment is implemented.  

Early Supported Discharge

Patients who are being treated in hospital for an acute flare up of their respiratory condition may be eligible for the early supported discharge service. Once medically stable, patients are assessed by a member of the team and if suitable are discharged home with the support of the team until they have recovered from their exacerbation.  

Nurse Led Clinics 

Nurse-led clinics ensure that patients and carers are involved in decision making and that they receive an individualised care plan and advice on flare-up management. 

Domiciliary Visits 

We offer visits to patients who are housebound to ensure they are optimised on treatments and offered support on managing their condition in their own home.  

Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings  

 A weekly Multi-Disciplinary (MDT) meeting with a respiratory consultant offers further support for more complex patients who are being managed in the community. We support self-management and home care through our community based respiratory multidisciplinary team. 

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Patients with a respiratory diagnosis, who are breathless, are offered a place on one of our Pulmonary Rehabilitation courses.  

Pulmonary rehabilitation is an evidence-based programme of exercise and education. It consisted of a structures, tailored exercise programme which improves muscle strength, increases physical activity and reduces breathlessness. The education programme provides advice on medications, managing symptoms such as breathlessness and reducing flare-ups. 

The course is a face-to-face group, consisting of 2 sessions per week in various locations around Oldham. It is run by a multidisciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Nurses and Assistant Practitioners. 

Patients are currently being offered digital Pulmonary Rehabilitation in place of face-to-face sessions. This is accessed via the My MHealth, My COPD digital application.  

Bronchiectasis Clinic 

We provide a joint clinic alongside the respiratory consultants. We provide for advice on self-management of bronchiectasis and flare-ups. Patients are seen by either a Respiratory Specialist Physiotherapist or Respiratory Specialist Nurse and are given advice on sputum clearance as well as trials of Nebulised Mucolytic or Nebulised antibiotics. 

Covid-19 

Respiratory Virtual Ward

Patients who have been admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of Community Acquired Pneumonia, Covid-19 or an exacerbation of COPD may be eligible for early supported discharge via the Respiratory Virtual Ward.

Patients are assessed as an inpatient and discussed with a clinician from the Respiratory team, if suitable for the Virtual Ward they will be discharged with a monitoring kit and contacted daily by the Respiratory team to review their progress until they are well enough for discharge. An MDT will take place with the Pennine Lung Service Team and a Respiratory Consultant for any patients admitted to the Virtual Ward.

We offer a seamless referral pathway into Community Therapies, Psychological Medicine and Pulmonary or Post Covid Rehabilitation Group as required.

Covid Rehabilitation 

Patients who have been diagnosed with Covid-19, who are breathless and deconditioned, are offered a place on one of our Post Covid Rehabilitation courses.  

This is based on the pulmonary rehabilitation courses which is an evidence-based programme of exercise and education. It consists of a structures, tailored exercise programme which improves muscle strength, increases physical activity and reduces breathlessness. The education programme consists of multi-professional speaker sessions looking at topics such as fatigue management, pacing and psychological support.  

The course is a face-to-face group, consisting of 2 sessions per for 6 weeks. It is run by a multidisciplinary team of Physiotherapists, Respiratory Therapists and Assistant Practitioners. 

Long Covid Service 

Post Acute- Patients who have been monitored by the Covid Virtual Ward and are stable, but still require oxygen therapy, or are having ongoing symptoms, are contacted regularly until follow up Chest X-Rays and Oxygen Assessments (as applicable) are completed.  

Long Covid Service- Patients who have ongoing symptoms 12 weeks post positive Covid test are referred into the Long Covid Service. Patients are assessed by a member of the Multi-Disciplinary Team and discussed in a virtual MDT meeting which includes Respiratory Consultants, Physiotherapists, Community Therapies and Psychological Medicine Colleagues. From here, patients are offered a seamless referral for further investigations, community therapy input, rehabilitation or psychological medicine input.  

An appointment will be made in advance, usually via telephone or letter. Depending on the service you are attending you will be asked to bring a list of your medications with you.   

You will have a discussion with one of the team who will work with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan and offer advice and support. 

If you are attending for an assessment for one of the rehabilitation classes, you will be asked to complete a short walking test at your appointment. 

Pennine Oxygen Service 

Oldham CURE Team 

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