
We are part of the Knowsley Community Respiratory Service and within our service we provide Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
What is pulmonary rehabilitation?
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a 9-week programme, twice a week, consisting of physical activity and education under the supervision of a specialist therapy team to improve patient’s management of their lung condition.
The exercises are designed for people with a range of respiratory conditions including COPD, bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease (ILD), lung transplant and asthma affecting their quality of life and daily living tasks.
What does the course involve?
When you are referred to us, you will be complete an initial assessment that takes place at different venues in the Knowsley area; the assessment will be with a physiotherapist, respiratory practitioner, or an exercise physiologist, to decide if you are suitable for pulmonary rehabilitation. During the assessment you will complete a walking test to ascertain your level of fitness and breathlessness.
Each session consists of about 60 minutes of personalised exercise tailored to your ability and created to suit your specific needs and goals, based off a walk test completed prior to starting the course. Exercise consists of both endurance and resistance-based exercises and help you manage your breathlessness. The programme will gradually progress as you feel more able.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is not just about completing exercises.
After completing the exercise class patients are provided with an educational session based on a different topic each week.
During the education sessions you will learn about:
- Lung condition (anatomy, physiology, pathology) & flare-up management
- Airway Clearance
- Breathlessness management
- Nutrition
- Benefit of exercise (identifying and changing believes about exercise)
- Drugs and medication, oxygen + inhaler technique
- Living with a long-term respiratory condition - Relaxation and anxiety management
- Local available NHS and community support for patients with lung conditions & weather
- SMART goal setting & behaviour change
While completing the course patients are also offered extra opportunities such as home exercise plans, park walks and gym sessions.
Is pulmonary rehabilitation for me?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a service that aims to improve breathlessness, exercise tolerance and overall quality of life for individuals with a long-term respiratory condition.
Breathlessness can be one of the symptoms of long-term lung conditions, it can be uncomfortable, frightening and so you may naturally try to avoid activities which make you breathless. This can lead to the viscous cycle of inactivity, thus impacting on your daily life and well-being.

Avoiding activities leads to weaker muscles, therefore increasing muscles effort and increased breathlessness.
This can then make it more difficult for you to do the activities you used to do and so may reduce your quality of life and limit your daily activities.

Pulmonary rehabilitation can be the first step to breaking that cycle with expert support from a team of physiotherapists and exercise physiologist.
How would pulmonary rehabilitation benefit me?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is very effective, with lots of research proving that it makes a real difference to patients’ lives.
After a course of pulmonary rehabilitation most people:
- Can walker further and faster
- Feel less breathless during routine daily activities
- Sleep better and have more energy
- Have improved muscle strength in arms and legs
- Have fewer chest infections and admissions to hospital
- Have a better understanding of their medications and inhaler devices
- Have an understanding of the benefit of exercise and how to safely exercise within their limits.
Benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation
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Enhance the knowledge and understanding of your respiratory condition
- Manage your condition effectively
- Improve knowledge of inhaled medication
- Improve your strength and fitness
- Help you manage your breathlessness and ultimately improve your quality of life as well as both physical and mental well-being.
- Improve health related quality of life
- Increase confidence
- Decrease exercise related breathlessness
- Reduce chest infections
- Reduce risks of hospital admissions
How can I join the course?
Ask your GP, respiratory consultant, practice nurse, respiratory nurse, allied healthcare professional if you would like to be referred to our service.
You can also contact the Knowsley Pulmonary Rehabilitation team on 0151 600 1844 to speak about joining the course or for further information.
Patient Engagement Sessions
Knowsley Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team is always working towards improvement making sure patient feedback is a core component of re-shaping our service.
We hold patient engagement sessions four times per year at the following locations:
- Kirkby Tower Hill, Ebony Way, Kirkby, Liverpool, L33 1XT
- Prescot Gym and Soccer Centre, 119 Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5AD
Exercise locations and venues
The PR team provides classes in five different sites across the borough; below are the locations we use to complete our PR sessions:
- Kirkby Leisure Centre, 105 Cherryfield Dr, Liverpool L32 8SA
- Whiston Town Hall (WTH), Old Colliery Rd, Whiston, Prescot L35 3QX
- Halewood Leisure centre, Baileys Ln, Halewood, Liverpool L26 0TY
- Stockbridge Neighbourhood Centre, The Whitens, Stockbridge Village, Liverpool L28 1AB
- Knowsley and Leisure Culture Park, Longview Dr, Huyton, Liverpool L36 6EG
The park walks locations are:
- Stadt Moers Park, Whiston on Monday, 1-2pm or 2-3pm.
- Halewood Park, Halewood on Friday, 10-11am or 11am-12pm.
- Mill Dam Park, Kirkby on Friday, 1-2pm or 2-3pm.
The gym venues’ locations are:
- Kirkby Leisure Centre, 105 Cherryfield Dr, Liverpool L32 8SA
- Halewood Leisure centre, Baileys Ln, Halewood, Liverpool L26 0TY
- Stockbridge Neighbourhood Centre, The Whitens, Stockbridge Village, Liverpool L28 1AB
- Prescot Soccer Centre, 119 Warrington Road, Prescot, L35 5AD
Team Charter
Please follow the link to read our Charter for our Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team.
Team Ethos, Culture and Approach
Ethos
- Our ethos and character are created through the individuality of our staff and their relationships with each other.
- We aim to build commitment and a high performing team by:
- Understanding the strengths and passions of our staff.
- Promoting autonomous practice amongst staff.
- Clearly defining responsibilities for each member of the team.
- Creating engaging and challenging work.
- Building a culture of trust for staff.
- Reward success and quality work.
- Eliminate the fear of failure.
Culture
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Our team culture is a set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviours. We aim to have open communication and a commitment to personal and professional growth. We work as a team with inclusivity and flexibility to celebrate the diversity of our staff and patients.
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Psychological safety for all. We create a safe environment where staff can ask questions and raise concerns.
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Respect for our patients and each individual team member.
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Recognition of achievements.
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We treat one another as we would like to be treated ourselves.
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Help to grow individual strengths, enabling the growth of creativity.
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Strive for transparency within the team.
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Promote effective leadership.
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Share common goals and work together to achieve them.
Approach
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We aim to uphold core values and behaviours which underpin the service.
- We operate with an open, caring and person-centred approach and treat our team members and patients with dignity and respect.
- Placing the patient at the centre of all that we do.
- A model involving a team of professionals with complimentary backgrounds and skills, working together towards specific goals, measures and successes.
- Define a clear, common goal.
- Promote a culture that facilitates teamwork.
- Pool expertise and identify strengths.
- Avoid micromanagement.
- Give effective team coaching and feedback.
External resources
Below are some useful links on these topics from Asthma and Lung UK:
- What is COPD
- What is IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis)?
- What is Bronchiectasis?
- How to cope with breathlessness
- Eating well for healthier lungs
- How your lungs work
- Keeping active
- Medications for respiratory diseases
- Oxygen therapy
- Sex and breathlessness
- End of life care
- How to stop smoking
Travelling with a lung condition
Travelling with a lung condition – abroad or in the UK – may seem daunting and off putting but this does not need to be the case.
Journeys may prove more difficult if you require oxygen.
The Asthma and Lung UK website provides more information about travelling with a lung condition.
Meet the Team