Independent Nurse: Clinical - Respiratory. The case for pulmonary rehab.(pulmonary rehabilitation)

Pulmonary rehabilitation can help those with chronic respiratory disease be more independent, says Yvonne Henderson.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is rapidly becoming recognised as an integral component of the management of people with chronic respiratory disease, in particular COPD.1 This move away from the traditional medical model of management to more holistic care reflects the strength of the evidence base to support its use.

Current service provision within the UK is inadequate to cater for the needs of the COPD population. A recent survey2 showed that 80 per cent of all programmes are hospital-based; the majority of these have capacity for 50-100 people per year; almost half have no secure funding and rely on the 'goodwill' of staff involved; and it is estimated that 10,000 people access pulmonary rehabilitation each …