Scots Living with COPD Struggling to Access Rehab and Support

This World COPD Day (Wed 15 November), Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is spotlighting the challenges faced by Scots living with COPD.

A new report from the charity reveals a quarter of Scots living with long-term chest conditions weren’t referred for rehabilitation, and more than half needed support that they weren’t able to access.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland (CHSS) Chief Operating Officer Allan Cowie said: “It is unacceptable that so many people living with COPD and other chest conditions are struggling to access essential rehab and support.

“Access to rehab is the first step in the recovery journey for people living with long term conditions to go on to live full lives. Without it, they are often unable to access wider support in the community, compounding the issues of isolation and loneliness that often go alongside these conditions.

“The Scottish Government and NHS Scotland must work together to improve the availability of, and access to pulmonary rehabilitation programmes, and to better understand the provision and uptake across the country in order to support improvement.”

Earlier this year, CHSS and the Right to Rehab Coalition launched the Right to Rehab campaign to ensure access to rehabilitation is recognised as a human right in Scottish law.

CHSS provides a range of advice and support to people with chest conditions including support groups to help them keep fit and well. However, for safety reasons, people may need to have gone through formal NHS rehab before attending these groups.

Ian Baxter, 75, is chairman of the Forfar Airways Group, a peer support group affiliated to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland supporting those living with COPD and other chest conditions.

Ian Baxter, 75, is chairman of the Forfar Airways Group, a peer support group affiliated to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland supporting those living with COPD and other chest conditions.

A long-time smoker who finally quit at the age of 60, Ian was diagnosed with COPD in 2004 but had to wait five years before receiving pulmonary rehab. Ian has also been diagnosed with the long-term lung condition bronchiectasis, pleural plaques and asbestosis. In 2009, he helped set up Forfar Airways to provide exercise, activities and support for others with chest conditions.

“I was diagnosed with COPD in 2004. It was a condition I knew nothing about at the time. I didn’t realise I would be living with COPD for a long time and that there were things I could do to make life easier.

“I asked at the time to get pulmonary rehab, but that didn’t happen until 2009. The problem for people with our condition is there’s nothing after rehab. You get two sessions a week for six weeks. It isn’t long enough to make a difference.

“That’s why a support group is so important because it gives people a social side, too. Forfar Airways first met in the local community hospital and there were nine of us. But we quickly grew in numbers and outgrew the room we had. From 2011, we’ve been meeting in the community fire station in Forfar.

“At one point we had more than 40 members, but those numbers fell away after Covid-19. Now we have around 30 members.

“We do desperately need new members, but the gateway into membership of our group is the official NHS pulmonary rehab. That way we know new people are fit to exercise because they have completed pulmonary rehab. We also take those referred by their GP. Non-members can also come and participate, but they must sign a disclosure for safety.

“Being part of the group is really important. People go out of the door feeling happy after being with each other. Loneliness can be a terrible thing, especially when you’re living with a long-term health condition. And we know there’s a high instance of depression in those with chronic health conditions. I was treated for depression because I felt very low after my diagnosis.

“Pulmonary rehab is absolutely essential for people with COPD. But there’s more the NHS could be doing. I didn’t get a CT scan until 2014, 10 years after the COPD diagnosis. I’d been coughing up blood. But the time spent having the scan and speaking to the consultant was the most valuable half-hour I had spent in years.

“The consultant was terrific and explained that as well as COPD, I also had bronchiectasis, pleural plaques and asbestosis. It’s high time that the NHS gave people a CT scan when they’re diagnosed with COPD so they know exactly what’s wrong with their lungs.”

If you’re living with COPD and need advice, information and support, contact our Advice Line on freephone 0808 801 0899 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk