Community Physiotherapy - North Sefton

Community Respiratory Service

Who do we see?

Respiratory physiotherapy may be needed by babies, children or young people with:

• A long term respiratory condition such as Cystic Fibrosis, Immunodeficiency
• Complex needs who are prone to chest infections

Where will we see you?

We see babies, children and young people in their local community either at home or in nursery or school.

What do we do?

We develop individual chest management plans with the patient and families to help prevent chest infections and reduce attendance and admission into hospital. We work closely with our colleagues in the medical and physiotherapy respiratory teams at our Alder Hey site to promote optimal care. We also work closely with your child’s school to ensure that they can also support the chest management plan.

How can we help?

We have many different skills to help us, for example:

• Breathing exercises
• Respiratory adjuncts/devices
• Postural drainage
• Manual techniques
• Exercise
• Cough assist machine
• Advice and education
• Relaxation

How do we help to improve quality of life for the whole family?

We work closely with the patients and families to develop shared goals aimed at promoting optimal function and improving quality of life. Strategies for managing acute respiratory symptoms, as well as long term management plans, are put into place. We support you in your local community in managing day to day respiratory symptoms and also help in preventing recurrent attendance and admissions to hospital.

We educate and advise children and young people with long term respiratory problems, and their families and carers, about airway clearance and exercise. We will teach you about the different techniques and equipment that can be used, as well as help you to manage your day to day treatment dependent on your activity level and whether or not you have any symptoms.

Children in Sefton between the ages of 0-16 years can be referred by GPs and health professionals.

• Cover letter for Physio referrals
• Physiotherapy service information leaflet for families
• Physiotherapy service information and referral form
• Physio SLD referral form
• SPOT service information leaflet for families
• SPOT referral form
• Physiotherapy MSK referral form
• Physiotherapy Respiratory referral form