Respiratory therapy

The Respiratory Therapy team at Poole Hospital consists of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and therapy technicians.

We provide a service to the medical wards, surgical wards, oncology wards, critical care and the acute medical unit. We provide respiratory and rehabilitation input to patients admitted to: A4, A5, the acute medical unit, CCU, SAU, C3, C4, Cornelia, Sandbanks, Durlston and Critical care.

What we do?

As a therapy team we work together to assess and treat patients referred by the surgical, medical and oncology teams due to an acute episode of illness or surgical input. We treat a wide range of patients who have been referred for chest and/or mobility issues occurring during their stay.

We provide respiratory input including acute respiratory care and chronic respiratory disease management alongside rehabilitation to enable patients to safely go home. We provide exercises, advice, support and equipment to facilitate independence.

We work closely with members of the multi-disciplinary team, including nurses, social workers and doctors, as well as liaising with community services for further treatment if required.

Useful information

Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 08:30am – 4:30pm.

We provide an on-call service physiotherapy service overnight and at weekends to cover deteriorating patients and patients on critical care. We also provide a weekend service between the hours of 8:30am - 4:30pm for new patients admitted to the Acute Medical Unit or patients who require additional therapy sessions as highlighted by their weekday therapist.

Location: The respiratory office is located in the therapies department, though the team works mainly on the wards.

Therapy outpatients reception: 0300 019 2582

Short of breath - coping techniques

Being short of breath can be very scary, it is important to learn techniques to enable you to cope with your daily routine. See below for helpful information on this:

• Shortness of breath breathing exercises
• Shortness of breath positions
• Energy Conservation

Clearing your chest

The following leaflet demonstrate ways to effectively clear sputum from your chest.

• Active cycle of breathing leaflet

Coughing: Coughing clears your airways of sputum and irritants such as dust or smoke. A productive cough or chesty cough means sputum is coughed and cleared from your airways which will allow you to breathe more easily as the sputum will not be blocking your airways. A non-productive or dry cough can be caused by dryness or a sensation of something in the throat that does not shift with coughing however you are able to breathe normally.

What is a Chronic Cough?

Most coughs clear up within three weeks and don't require any treatment.  A cough becomes chronic when it persists after three weeks, sputum has been cleared from the airways and infections have resolved but the cough remains.

It is possible that your throat may become irritated after an infection has resolved, if this happens there can be an increased urge to keep coughing. It is important to avoid a cycle of continual coughing as it can cause pain and tenderness in the throat, upper chest area, stomach and pain in the abdominal muscles.

What can cause a cough?

Short term cough causes:

• A flare-up of a long-term pulmonary (lung) condition such as; asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
• An upper respiratory tract infection (URTI), that affects the throat, windpipe or sinuses such as; the flu, a cold, laryngitis or sinusitis.
• A lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) that affects your lungs or lower airways, such as; pneumonia.
• An allergy such as hay fever.
• Inhaled dust or smoke, mis-swallowing of food or liquids.  

Chronic cough causes:

• A long-term respiratory tract infection.
• Long term pulmonary (lung) conditions such as; asthma or Bronchiectasis.
• Allergies or smoking.
• Sputum dripping down the throat from the back of the nose, caused by conditions such as rhinitis or sinusitis. 
• Certain types of prescribed medicine, i.e medicines to treat high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Cough suppression techniques

The following techniques can be used to help suppress a cough. They can be used together or apart as you see fit, you know your cough triggers best and will therefore know which suppression techniques work for you. They must be used consistently to self-manage your cough. Aim to keep working at suppressing the cough for as long as each bout of coughing continues.

Use a combination of the following techniques below if you feel a cough coming on:

The Hold, Blow, Sip, Swallow technique:

• Identify the sensations you have in your throat just before you start coughing. Is it a scratching, tickling, catching or a ‘closing’ sensation? The moment you experience the sensation…
• Hold your breath for a count to five – 1,2,3,4,5
• Blow the air out of your mouth as if blowing candles.
• Sip some water.
• Swallow while tucking your chin down towards your chest.
• Take another sip of water immediately. This will soothe the voice box and help thin out the mucous that builds up in your throat.
• Make a habit of sipping some water every 15 minutes or so to keep your throat moist.

Other strategies to try:

• Try two strong sniffs in quick succession and then blow out gently through pursed lips.
• Try a strong sniff followed immediately by blowing out through pursed lips. Swallow hard several times.
• Inhale through a straw and exhale through pursed lips (eg gentle blowing out through mouth) or make the sound “sssss”.
• As the throat feels calmer, take a sip of water or cordial but only if you are confident it will not trigger the cough again.
• Slow panting with tongue out.
• Sipping very cold water before a cough starts can sometimes prevent it.

Remember you can always seek advice from your GP if you have concerns regarding your chronic cough.

Useful links: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/

Physio treatments

Please click here to view our patient information section for our leaflets

Rehabilitation and classes - useful information

Exercise is beneficial for people with long term conditions or acute conditions which require a period of rehabilitation. Exercise will strengthen your muscles and lungs, aiding your day to day activities.

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation information British Heart Foundation
• Group classes Please contact your therapist for further information regarding referral to pulmonary rehab. 
• Exercise Groups for long term health conditions My life my care
• Young at Heart Over 50’s Swim Everyone active 
• Find your own exercise group British Heart Foundation 
• Singing Groups are also available for chronic pulmonary conditions, access to these can be found on the above link.

Other Information

Local NHS falls clinics:

My Health My Way

Breathe Easy Support Group

Lewis Manning Better Breathing Clinic

Hand therapy

The Hand Therapy Unit aims to provide comprehensive and individual care for all patients with problems affecting the forearm, wrist or hand. 

This includes patients referred following hand or wrist injury, surgery, work related problems or with conditions such as arthritis.

Our clinical expertise and practice is based on a core of professional knowledge, values and skills, supported by post graduate training and current research.

The service is provided by occupational therapists (OT) and physiotherapists (PT) with highly specialised skills in the assessment, management and treatment of wrist and hand problems.

The therapists work collaboratively with other health professionals to deliver high quality care. We encourage our patients to be actively involved in the assessment and treatment process. This includes goal setting to ensure individual functional needs are addressed.

We currently also run two group sessions:

• The hand and wrist rehabilitation group (see below) is run twice a week to help people regain further use of their hand(s) following a one to one assessment. The group offers the opportunity for more intensive rehabilitation.
• The Osteoarthritis (OA) of the thumb self-management group is run by a qualified hand therapist to help teach individuals the skills to manage their thumb pain more effectively. Attendance is arranged following a direct referral into the group. It will cover: What osteoarthritis  is; how exercise can help; how splints can help & joint protection techniques.

Exercises and patient leaflets for various hand injuries and conditions can be found by clicking here

Hand and wrist class

You may be referred into the hand and wrist class by your NHS physiotherapist, to see your NHS physiotherapist will need a referral from your GP, consultant or via NHS staff self referral scheme from occupational health.

Hand/Wrist rehabilitation group is run to help people regain further use of their hand(s). The group will give you the opportunity for more intensive therapy. The programme will consist of an evidence based exercise circuit of 12 stations, each has plenty of equipment to help with your rehabilitation. You will spend a minute and a half at each, then can choose a further four stations based upon your preference. Remember to take things at your own pace.

Classes are supervised by a qualified member of staff and managed by a senior physiotherapist.

Classes are held twice weekly, run in a group format, usually you will agree an amount with your physiotherapist at time of booking.

The classes run:

Monday 2.45-3.45pm

Thursday 2.45-3.45pm

We do not run sessions on bank holidays.

The circuits class is run in the hand therapy room which is located on the lower ground floor, entrance eight.

Please report to the physiotherapy outpatients reception on arrival, then take a seat in the reception waiting area and you will be called into the class.

• If you have been referred directly from the out of plaster clinic will you be asked to arrive ten minutes early to allow the therapist to do some baseline measurements.
• Following your last session you may be asked to stay for about ten minutes extra.  This will allow the therapist to do some final measurements to assess if the exercises have been effective.
• Please wear suitably loose clothing for an active class such as t-shirt.
• If unable to attend please let us know 0300 019 2121. If we are not informed this will go down as a ‘did not attend’. You will then be discharged and this will be corresponded to your GP.

Hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy is a theraputic treatment that involves moving and exercising in water

Hydrotherapy is the combination of the effects of immersion and exercise and therefore further benefits are those associated with general exercise. This is achieved through the utilisation of the properties of water eg. (warmth and buoyancy). For example, enhanced physical and mental well-being. Our pool temperature is maintained between 35-36°C and the quality of the water is checked and maintained daily by our estates department. The pool has two levels and is deep enough to stand and walk around in. Access to the pool is via easy steps with handrails for support but there is also a full body hoist which has a maximum weight limit of 25 stone. 

Hydrotherapy is accepted as an integral part of rehabilitation. Common benefits include:

• Ease of movement and pain relief
• Reduction of muscle tone / spasm
• Reduction of swelling
• Resistance to movement
• Enhanced relaxation
• Enhanced well-being
• Functional activity re-activation
• Enhanced cardio-vascular fitness
• Increased muscle strength
• Increased range of movement at a joint
• Early rehabiliation of weight bearing or gait retraining
• When patients are unable to complete land-based exercises
• Improved core stability

There are two members of staff present at all times. You can expect your hydrotherapy treatment to be directed from either the poolside or from a physiotherapist in the water with you. Appointments can consist of a group of maximum of four people, shared treatment sessions are a maximum of two people.

Private sessions in the pool are available and include a full assessment, please contact the Cornelia suite for more details.

Children's Hydrotherapy

If your child has been referred for hydrotherapy, please read our hydrotherapy information sheet. 

Facilities and useful information

There are full changing and showering facilities available. There is non-slip matting in the shower area. Disabled facilities are also available. You will be required to wear your own swimming costume and we encourage you to bring your own towel and shower gel etc. You will be required to have a short shower before and after your hydrotherapy session in order to remove any creams, lotions and chlorine from your skin.Outdoor footwear is not permitted to be worn on the surrounding poolside area but you may wear clean non-slip shoes for the transition from changing area to poolside. There is also a handrail in this area for further support. If you usually carry a GTN spray, an inhaler for a respiratory problem please ensure that you bring these with you. If you are a diabetic, please bring your glucose testing kit with you to check your blood sugars prior to entering the pool.

Absolute contraindications to hydrotherapy

• Uncontrolled cardiac failure
• Resting angina
• Short of breath at rest
• Medically unstable following an acute episode e.g. CVA, DVT, PE
• Acute vomiting and/or diarrhea

Referrals

You may be referred into hydrotherapy by your NHS physiotherapist, to see your NHS physiotherapist you will need a referral from your GP, consultant or via NHS staff self referral scheme from occupational health.

Contact us

Please call and leave a message if:                  

• You are feeling unwell
• If you have a high temperature or infection
• If you have any new open wounds or scar sites
• If your medical history has changed recently
• If you have changed or started new medications
• If you have experienced any gastric upset within the last 24 hours

Contact number: 0300 019 2121

Classes and information

Hydrotherapy back classes consist of an evidence based exercises, we use plenty of equipment and host a lively event. Classes are held twice a week, a maximum of four patients allowed per class, usually you will agree an amount of sessions with your physiotherapist, typically a maximum of four sessions. Remember to take things at your own pace.

The class is managed by a senior physiotherapist and run by a qualified member of staff.

Class location: The hydro back class is run in the therapy services department which is located on the lower ground floor, entrance 8 at Poole hospital. Please report to the physiotherapy outpatients reception on arrival, then take a seat in the waiting area near the hydrotherapy pool and you will be called into the class.

Here are some exercise sheets for you to practice.

If unable to attend please let us know 0300 019 2121. If we are not informed this will go down as a ‘did not attend’. You will then be discharged and this will be corresponded to your GP.

Welcome to the therapy services page.

Therapy aims to improve function and reduce pain/ symptoms through a variety of treatments including exercise, education, manual therapy and the provision of equipment or splinting, where required. Treatment can be on an individual or group basis.

The following are the services that we offer:

Therapy outpatients reception: 0300 019 2121

Opening times: Monday - Friday 8.10am-4.30pm