What is the service and what does it offer?

The Community Respiratory Service works alongside the community teams with the management and rehabilitation of patients with complex chronic lung disease such as:

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Asthma
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Interstitial Lung Disease

The community respiratory team provides:

  • Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme (PACE)
  • Home Oxygen service in North, East and West Wiltshire – Salisbury Foundation  NHS Trust at Salisbury Hospital provides the oxygen service to patients in South Wiltshire
  • Admission avoidance with early exacerbation intervention
  • Optimising treatment, self- management and lifestyle
  • Shared palliative support with Community Teams and Hospice services

How to access the service?

The service can be accessed following a referral from a health care professional/GP or consultant.

Wiltshire Community Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PACE)

Face to face pulmonary rehabilitation programmes have restarted – however social distancing restrictions will limit group numbers until NHS guidelines are updated.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PACE) is now available in small groups in locations in North and West Wiltshire.

Until NHS guidance allows, we must continue with Covid-19 risk assessments, use of PPE and social distancing for patients.

At present we are holding PACE programmes at Trowbridge, Chippenham and Savernake Community Hospitals twice a week in a structured programme. There is a maximum of 4 patients in each group.

We are also able to offer patients pulmonary rehabilitation via an online platform called ‘SPACE for COPD’. Patients need to have IT access, basic IT skills and be motivated in improving their own health, as this is a self- directed rehab programme with respiratory clinician support as needed. Patients are seen face to face for assessment and induction prior to accessing this online programme.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation is all about getting people exercising because exercise is fantastic at helping improve the sensation of breathlessness, keeping your lungs clear of phlegm and ultimately… it helps to keep you independent.

Keeping active and doing regular exercise is a major part of keeping well with a Lung Disease.

Taking regular exercise and a daily walk is recommended for us all. However, there are other options if getting out is too difficult. The British Lung Foundation has exercise videos on their website to help keep you active:

If you have COPD, ‘Living Well with COPD’ provides educational material on a number of different subjects including breathlessness management; diet: energy conservation and managing stress and anxiety. There are also exercise videos available too.  www.livingwellwithcopd.com

To access this material, registration is required, but all the material is free for you once you have registered.

If you are struggling to clear your chest, simple airway clearance techniques can be viewed here.  Active Cycle of Breathing Technique (ACBT) – YouTube

If you are unsure about the correct inhaler technique, please speak to your practice nurse or respiratory nurse. You can also see more information on all inhaler devices: How to use your inhaler | Asthma UK

These videos and links provide addition information and support for your respiratory conditions and on how best to keep yourself healthy.

Wiltshire Home Oxygen service

(This is a not an urgent or rapid response service)

Patients are supported with home oxygen assessments and  long term oxygen management with home visits and clinic appointments across North, East and West Wiltshire.

The service is commissioned to support patients with respiratory disease and heart failure.

Palliative oxygen is assessed by GP/ Consultant and is prescribed directly by the clinician for end of life symptom support. Palliative oxygen is not a commissioned service for this team.

Oxygen therapy is prescribed as a drug and the following guidance is issued to support the appropriate use of long-term oxygen:

Respiratory Specialist Nurse / Clinical Lead Role

(This is a not an urgent or rapid response service)

Patient referrals are accepted from GP, practice nurses, community teams and secondary care services for patients with complex respiratory needs, frequent exacerbations and/or hospital admissions, poor self-management or housebound patients.

We liaise closely with secondary care respiratory services and specialist respiratory centres in optimising treatment and management at home for patients under consultant care.

We are unable to advise patients on Non-Invasive ventilation care (BIPAP or CPAP) as this is a secondary care service and not commissioned to the community respiratory team.

For more information or advice telephone the Wiltshire Community Respiratory Team on 01249 456607