Wigan hospital rehab programme for people with breathing conditions bids for top ranking approval

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation team at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s (WWL) is aiming to gain accreditation from the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services Accreditation Scheme (PRSAS) in March of next year with its programme of exercise and education designed to help people with lung disease manage their symptoms, especially breathlessness.

People suffering from other long-term lung conditions like bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis can also benefit from the service.

Silas Nicholls, chief executive at WWL, said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised as one of the first 100 Trusts to register for PRSAS accreditation for our PR service at WWL.

“The team deserve all the recognition and this demonstrates WWL’s commitment to providing the best quality care for our patients.

“I’d like to thank all the staff who work tirelessly as part of WWL’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation service for their work and dedication to WWL and our patients.”

A course of pulmonary rehabilitation usually lasts six to eight weeks and provides tailored exercise and education programmes including aerobic exercise and lifestyle support.

Once the service gains full PRSAS accreditation it will mean that the care being delivered has been of an exceptional quality to meet the standards for accreditation. In turn, this will mean that patients using the service will receive a high quality of care and that the standards set by PRSAS are being met.

The accreditation scheme is strongly supported by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and shows that WWL’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation service is meeting the national standard for quality of care.

Sanjay Arya, medical director at WWL spoke on the service and said: “It is a remarkable achievement for WWL’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation service to be in the first half of Trust’s across the country to register for PRSAS accreditation.

“This is a shining example of the continuous improvements we are making for all our patients as we look to provide the best possible care for our community.”