People suffering from chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), which results in restriction of the airflow to the lungs. Symptoms include coughing and breathlessness.
It is incurable, but funding from the Scottish Government has enabled NHS Highland to introduce COPD rehabilitation services across the area for which Mid Highland Community Health Partnership (CHP) is responsible. This covers Ross, Cromarty and West Ness, Skye and Lochalsh and Lochaber.
The service is most advanced in Skye and Lochalsh, with six eight-weekly sessions run by physiotherapists being offered at the hospitals on Skye – three at the Dr MacKinnnon Memorial Hospital at Broadford and three at Portree Community Hospital.
Uptake has been excellent, with a full course being completed at both hospitals, and patients are reporting a marked improvement in their conditions following evaluation.
The service will be developed in all the localities in Mid Highland as soon as the necessary staff can be appointed.
Ann Bethune, who is a non executive director of the NHS Highland Board and chair of Mid Highland CHP Committee, said: “We are very encouraged by the results in Skye and Lochalsh.
“We hope that we will be able to recruit appropriate staff to allow COPD rehabilitation services to be rolled out equally successfully across the whole of the Mid Highland area.”
Mid Highland CHP clinical director, Dr Angus Venters, explained that the CHP received funding for COPD rehabilitation services from the government’s Scottish Enhanced Services Programme (SESP).
He said: “Prior to this, rehabilitation for COPD was hospital based. This meant that patients needing rehabilitation only got it if they lived in or near Inverness.
“The funding has made it possible for all GP practices to obtain their own spirometers to aid detection of these diseases.
“It has also enabled the GP practices to monitor patients, who have had the rehabilitation, so that deteriorations can be dealt with promptly.”
Dr Venters explained that, to be suitable for rehabilitation, patients must have a degree of respiratory impairment.
However, it cannot be given to people who are housebound or who are unsuitable due to other conditions. It would also not be offered to people whose COPD is so severe that they would be unable to tolerate it.
“This funding has improved detection of COPD and has improved access to rehabilitation across the whole area,” said Dr Venters.
NHS Highland public health consultant, Dr Dennis Tracey, said: “There is really good evidence that certain people with COPD will benefit from rehabilitation.
“It is not going to cure their condition but, if they get rehabilitation, they are able to function much better – their exercise tolerance increases, their confidence increases and they feel much better.
“The important thing is to identify the people who can benefit from rehabilitation and to make sure they get it.”
Notes for editors:-
COPD is also known as Chronic Obstructive Airways Disorder (COAD).
A spirometer is an instrument used for measuring the capacity of the lungs or the volume of air which can be expelled from the chest after breathing in as deeply as possible.
