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UHB’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service has achieved national accreditation, recognising the high-quality care, innovation and dedication demonstrated by colleagues across the service.

The accreditation follows an extensive external benchmark review conducted by the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services Accreditation Scheme (PRSAS), run by the Royal College of Physicians, with assessors visiting both Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital to observe the service in action and meet members of the multidisciplinary team.  

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service delivers sessions across Heartlands, Good Hope and Solihull hospitals, supporting patients with chronic respiratory conditions to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life. The team also offer sessions in community venues and virtual pulmonary rehabilitation (VPB) for who are unable to, or would prefer not to, attend face-to-face sessions.

During the assessment, reviewers met clinical and operational leaders and explored examples of service innovation, including the team’s ‘Waiting Well’ initiative, which was praised as an innovative approach to supporting patients while they wait for treatment.

A patient who completed a six-week programme of twice weekly classes at Good Hope Hospital, said: “'I cannot say enough about the quality of care that I received from the team. I appreciate the calls made to remind me about my appointments, always greeting me with a smile and calling me by my first name. Furthermore, the exercise programme was specifically planned for me according to my physical ability.  I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude for all your help and support.  Rehab helped me to control my breathlessness and gave me confidence in dealing with my lungs and breathing condition.”

Julie Hunter, Group Director for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) said: “Achieving accreditation is a fantastic endorsement of the outstanding work delivered by our Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service. This external recognition reflects the dedication, expertise and compassion shown by colleagues every day to support patients living with respiratory conditions.  

“I am incredibly proud of Gemma Atkins, UHB Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team Lead, and the entire team for the enormous amount of work that went into preparing for the review and showcasing the service. The accreditation demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based care and continually striving to improve the experience and outcomes for our patients.”