Freedom of Information request - Commissioned Respiratory Services JH/FOI/08441
Dear Milton Keynes Primary Care Trust (PCT),
Do you currently commission the below services:
- Evidence based Pulmonary Rehabilitation programme?
Yes we do currently commission an evidence based community pulmonary rehabilitation service from Milton Keynes Community Health Services. This service is consistent with the NICE guidance for COPD: Management of COPD in adults in primary and secondary care, clinical guideline 12 (2010).
NICE recommends the development of community based rehabilitation for COPD, to support people in the community and help them gain in confidence and motivation to continue exercising in the community following a period of hospital based care.
The service is informed by additional clinical evidence from a range of sources in the UK and internationally. The service was formally established following a successful local pilot project in 2010.
2.A home oxygen assessment and review service?
Yes, home oxygen services are provided. Please see the attached leaflet.
3.An early discharge service for patients admitted to an acute trust with an exacerbation of COPD?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is provided with in the acute care setting. Nationally, there have been issues with people maintaining their progress once they have been discharged after completion of the hospital programme. In Milton Keynes, we developed the community based pulmonary rehabilitation service to address this and to ensure that progress is maintained.
4.A prevention of admission service for patients with an exacerbation of COPD?
The community pulmonary rehabilitation service helps to support people with COPD in the community by offering a 7 week programme of exercise and education to help people better manage their condition and therefore prevent hospital admission. It is available for all people with a confirmed diagnosis of COPD and a MRC dyspnoea score of 3 or above and registered with a Milton Keynes GP.
The aim of the service is to prevent disease progression by ensuring people access the service at the beginning of the COPD care pathway.
Milton Keynes was also a partner in a recent European Union funded project that trialled the provision of telehealth for people with COPD to provide daily readings of key indicators to help monitor their COPD. The project looked at the impact that this technology had on their quality of life; management of the condition and the prevention of hospital admission. The evaluation report is currently being drafted.
5.Community COPD clinics for the diagnosis and stable management of COPD?
Yes, see above. The clinics currently operate in two areas of Milton Keynes – the north and south of the city. Further venues are being explored to ensure that they are in easy reach to areas of need.
6.If you do not currently commission these services do you have plans to in the future?
The care pathway for COPD is monitored closely by the Respiratory Local Implementation Team, which meets on a regular basis to ensure that services are working together to support people with COPD, working to minimise exacerbations.
7.If you currently commission the above services, when is the date for re-tender?
We have recently re-tendered the Home Oxygen supplier contract in partnership with other areas in the South Central Strategic Health Authority area. There are no plans to re-tender any of the other services at this time.