People with a serious chest disease in Teesside are getting specialist help from people with the same condition – thanks to a national research study a health team is leading on.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust is the first organisation to be part of a trial looking into a new way to help patients recover from COPD through volunteer helpers.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – known as COPD – is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.
The study, run by King’s College London and funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research, is around the recruitment and training of volunteers to support patients referred for pulmonary rehabilitation, used to treat the condition.
The volunteers are people with COPD who have all previously completed the exercise-based rehab themselves.
The trust’s pulmonary rehab team and Tees Valley Research Alliance have successfully recruited the first 20 patients to the IMPROVE trial, being selected as a pilot site.
The team recruited and trained six volunteers – known as ‘PR buddies’ – who then supported the patients with COPD referred in.
Veronica Stephenson, 70, and her husband Philip, 73, who live in Thornaby, have both been buddies in the study.
Veronica, who smoked for 40 years, said: “Everyone knows me as the gobby one, I love talking to people.
“I found just by talking to people I was helping them – one man in particular really opened up to me and decided to give the rehab exercises a try.
“It’s a chance for people to talk about their fears and issues and to see the benefits of the rehab.”
Philip added: “I know how useful it was for me – just getting people off their bums and doing anything is better than nothing – it really enhances your life.”
Caroline Fernandes-James, clinical specialist respiratory physiotherapist and joint pulmonary rehabilitation clinical lead, is the Trust’s principal investigator for the study.
She said: “Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our clinical and research teams, the willingness of our patients to be involved and the support and expertise from King’s College London, we have been able to lead this national trial.”
Joanne Symm, clinical specialist respiratory physiotherapist and joint pulmonary rehabilitation clinical lead, who is also study co-investigator, said: “Our team has been on a real journey.
“This is about that excellent team work and collective support for research from all involved – our staff are research-active and our patients are benefitting from more treatment because of it.
“To be commended for recruiting the first patients nationally is fantastic, it’s a win for the patients and staff involved.”
Alison Chilvers, research team lead, said “The success of this study is due to the outstanding team work between the research and development team, rehab specialists, our dedicated buddies and patients.
“It shows our commitment to advancing respiratory health through innovative research.”
Patrick White, professor of primary care respiratory medicine, department of population health, King’s College London, said: “I think you and your team are entrepreneurial and forward looking, having taken on the challenge of the trial which has included undergoing the training, recruiting the PR-buddies, and then training and supporting them.
“What a positive approach. What a team.”
The results of the trial will be published after May 2025.