Glasgow City Community Respiratory Team – supporting people at home

Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP)’s Community Respiratory Team (CRT) provides specialist support to people living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in their own homes. The service helps people stay well at home, avoid unnecessary hospital stays and recover safely with the right support.

CRT is a multidisciplinary team of 20 staff, including physiotherapists, respiratory nurse specialists, occupational therapist, pharmacist, support workers and business support. The team responds when someone has a flare up of their COPD and aims to prevent avoidable hospital admissions by providing timely care in the community.

GPs, Respiratory nurses and AHPs are able to refer into the team and patients who are known to the CRT can self refer for ongoing exacerbation support

A new video, John Taking Back Control, highlights how important this support is for older people with severe COPD, especially those who may not have a large support network or who find it difficult to travel to hospital.

The video follows John, a Glasgow resident living with COPD. After turning 68, John’s mobility declined sharply. He went from walking to the local shops to struggling to move between rooms in his home. He also faced repeated ambulance trips, long waits on hospital trolleys and week-long hospital stays, which left him feeling depressed and stuck in a cycle he couldn’t escape.

CRT stepped in to support him at home. The team provided:
•    exacerbation monitoring and support and education
•    regular home visits and telephone support
•    breathing and mobility exercises
•    mobility aids, including a walking trolley and bathroom supports
•    monitoring of his antibiotics and general health

All of this took place in John’s own living room, helping him feel safe and supported.

Marianne Milligan, Team Leader for the CRT, said: “John feels the support he received has been life changing. He has gone from feeling low and unable to move around to taking back control of his life. He’s more independent again and reassured that the team is only a phone call away. Being at home also means his family can visit comfortably without the stress of hospital visiting times.”

John added: “I’m no longer stuck on a hospital trolley for hours — I can be treated in my own chair. I can even get to Tesco now using the electric buggies and my walking trolley.”