Good PR (pulmonary rehab)

by Kate Savage, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is so much more than just an exercise programme – it’s a life-changing service that helps people with chronic lung conditions take control of their health, feel better, breathe easier and live more fully.

At KCHFT, our team is passionate about making sure this service is the very best it can be. Even though pulmonary rehabilitation has been around for many years, we know there’s always room to grow. That’s why we’re constantly evolving what we do, using the latest evidence and, most importantly, listening to our patients.

In 2022, we were incredibly proud to become the first pulmonary rehabilitation service in the South East of England to be accredited by the Royal College of Physicians which is a huge milestone for the team. But we haven’t stopped there.

One exciting development we’re working on is a simple new way to measure lower limb strength – something that works well in a community setting. This will help us tailor strengthening exercises to each person, improving mobility, independence and overall results.

We’re also focused on making sure people can access the service at the right time. Over the past year, the team has introduced a new quality improvement project to identify patients earlier in their care journey, making sure they get any medical support they need before starting the programme safely.

A previous patient who was having monthly hospital admissions for her asthma went through the programme and had huge improvements in her mobility, breathlessness, quality of life and more importantly has not had to go back to hospital since. She told the team she was forever grateful for getting her back to her normal self.

Thanks to this new pathway, waiting times have dropped dramatically, from an average of 28 weeks to just 16 in the space of a year.

This kind of work really does change lives – and we were thrilled when the team was recognised as a finalist in the continuous improvement category at the 2025 KCHFT Staff Awards.

And we’re not done yet. The team will keep pushing forward, trying out fresh ideas and leading the way for the benefit of our patients.

As one patient memorably put it:

“A team of healers who reside at St Peter’s, this team are the pleasers of asthmatics and wheezers. Their leader’s called Kate who’s just like a mate and their one aim in life is to make you feel GREAT!”

Happy Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week to all – and here’s to better breathing for everyone!