About our service
The Cardiorespiratory Physiotherapy service at the QE provides care for patients with respiratory and cardiac problems. Our services cover inpatient care, outpatient clinics and rehabilitation classes. Our team consists of skilled specialist Physiotherapists and rehabilitation assistants who will work with you to provide an individualised treatment plan to meet your needs and goals.
Services we offer:
- Cardiac Rehabilitation – Our cardiac team can help support you following a diagnosis or admission with a heart or vascular condition. The cardiac rehabilitation service helps people to recover and resume daily life as quickly as possible following a cardiac event. The service provides in-depth assessment and rehabilitation classes with the aim of enabling people to exercise in a safe environment. We also provide advice, education, support and guidance to help people self-manage, leading to a more active and healthier lifestyle. We provide cardiac rehabilitation classes in acute and community setting twice a week at four sites across Gateshead.
- Reach Heart Failure – Our Reach HF (Heart Failure) service can help support you following a diagnosis of heart failure. The service is designed for people who have a diagnosis of heart failure and are housebound or unable to attend one of our cardiovascular rehabilitation classes. The Reach HF programme is a comprehensive twelve-week individualised programme supported by a physiotherapist and a heart failure nurse. Each person will receive a HF manual, which provides in depth information covering all aspects about the condition in a patient friendly format. Exercise sessions are also recorded in the manual to track progress. The manual comes with an exercise DVD or access to the exercise videos online. The aim of the programme is to provide each person with a comprehensive supported home exercise programme, enabling a greater understanding and more effective long term self-management of their condition.
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation – We offer our Pulmonary Rehabilitation service for patients with long term lung conditions who are experiencing breathing problems and are limited in their activities of daily living. We assess patients exercise tolerance and management of daily breathing in clinic, teach them breathing techniques and exercises and enrol them into the Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme. The programme is delivered over 6 weeks; two sessions per week. The programme involves an exercise circuit delivered by the Physiotherapy team and education delivered by a multidisciplinary team. These classes are held both in the hospital and community setting depending on patient choice and location. Additionally, Home Exercise Programmes can be prescribed by the Physiotherapy team if you are unable to attend a group programme. Patients will follow an individualised, prescribed programme with telephone reviews from the Physiotherapy team. The aim of Pulmonary Rehabilitation is to improve exercise tolerance and enable a greater understanding of your lung condition to encourage self-management.
- Respiratory Outpatient clinics – This service is for patients struggling with their breathing due to excess accumulation of phlegm in their chest. They are seen in an outpatient clinic where patients are assessed and taught chest clearance techniques and provided handheld devices to aid sputum clearance. We also provide patients with breathing techniques and breathing exercises to better manage symptoms.
- Long Covid Rehabilitation Service – Patients are initially seen by medical staff, then referred to the Long COVID Rehabilitation Service if they have persistent symptoms which may be improved with rehabilitation. Our Long Covid Rehabilitation Service consists of a multi-disciplinary therapy team: Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Psychologist. Patients referred to the Long COVID Rehabilitation Service will initially be assessed in clinic by the multidisciplinary therapy team. They will then be enrolled into the required therapeutic service. The Physiotherapists provide exercise-based rehabilitation, delivered in a group setting, one to one or virtual sessions. The Occupational Therapists and Psychologist deliver education sessions to help encourage self-management of symptoms; these are delivered one to one or in a group setting. The Psychologist provide therapeutic interventions to help manage Long COVID related mental health conditions. These sessions are delivered one to one.
- Respiratory Virtual Wards – This service is for respiratory patients who get admitted to A/E are seen by respiratory nurses and consultants and if they decide their condition can be managed at home are then discharged home with the support of the MDT. We also follow up these patients in the community if needed.
- Wards – The service also covers the medical respiratory wards (wards 9 and 10) and the cardiology ward (ward 8).
Useful information:
Support for Rehabilitation: Self-Management after COVID-19 Related Illness (who.int)
Your Covid Recovery – Supporting Recovery for Long Covid
myCOPD: The COPD app for controlling your symptoms (mymhealth.com)
Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)
Health Advice Resources – Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)
Exercise handbook – Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)
Welcome to British Heart Foundation – BHF
Cardiac rehabilitation at home – BHF
Cardiac rehab resources for patients and healthcare professionals – BHF
