The community Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) service provides care and advice to those individuals with COPD and their families.

Specifically the service offers advice and education to help people manage their disease as part of an assessment to improve their quality of life, reduce symptoms and reduce the risk of unplanned admissions. The service is aimed at those who have severe disease and are having difficulties managing their symptoms, as well as to those who have had a number of admissions to hospital.

The specialist nurse service for COPD provides a home visiting service to those patients who have a GP registered within Buckinghamshire.

The specialist nurse service works closely with the pulmonary rehabilitation team and are involved in some of the education on the pulmonary rehabilitation programme.

The service also works closely with the community matrons, who provide on-going care for individuals with any long term condition (not just a chest disease).

Pulmonary rehabilitation is an eight week programme of education and physical re-conditioning designed specifically for individuals with lung disease. The programme is for those with COPD only and a referral can be made via your practice nurse or GP. The programme is based in the community at a number of sites throughout the county.

Community matrons are senior nurses who work in the community caring for those people who have a complex medical history and are at high risk of unplanned admission. They work closely with the patient, their family and GP to enable effective self care and offer support during periods of ill health.

The community specialist nursing office can be contacted on 01296 565838.

Referrals for the specialist nurse, community matron and pulmonary rehabilitation need to be made via a GP.