Help at hand with breathing problems

Date Added - 10/11/09

With the onset of winter, cold weather can affect the breathing of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The effects can be even greater when there are viruses around that can cause coughs and colds.

However, help is at hand for sufferers in Moray where the Moray Community Health and Social Care Partnership has signed up to use the Met Office’s Healthy Outlook forecast alert service which will run until the end of March.

The service helps COPD patients manage their condition more effectively by warning them of periods of increased risk to their health by way of an automated telephone call.

Calls will only be made when the Met Office forecast indicates that weather or increased viral strains could affect the patient’s condition.

The partnership’s telehealthcare project manager, Lorna Bernard, said: “The service has been offered to patients for the past three winters via participating GP practices in Moray. However, this year we would like to invite anyone in the Moray area who has been diagnosed with COPD to take advantage of the service as past of a self-referral trial.

“The service is currently free and has been evaluated nationally as providing effective prevention against hospital admissions, particularly when used in conjunction with other self-help advice provided.”

The partnership’s clinical lead, Dr Jamie Hogg, said: “We are very excited to be able to offer this service to all COPD patients this year as this will prevent any notion of inequality.

“In Moray we currently have around 2000 registered COPD patients so the potential for take-up of the service is significant.

“We will also support those signing up to receive the service by giving self-care advice in order to equip people better to manage their COPD over the high risk period.”

Anyone who thinks they, or someone they know, might benefit from the service should contact the Healthy Outlook service on 01343 567110 or e-mail moray.copd@nhs.net