Forecasting Health for HMRPCT Patients

Patients who have trouble breathing will receive early warnings to changes in the weather that may worsen their symptoms.

Those people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) have been identified by their local GP surgery and have been nominated to receive health forecasts. The early warnings from the Met Office via NHS Direct will help patients be better equipped to manage their illness in difficult weather conditions.

Surgeries in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale have contacted suitable patients who they believe will benefit from receiving the health forecasts inviting them to be part of the new project.

The severity of some illnesses may change throughout the year because of changes in the weather or the presence of infections. Very hot or very cold weather, as well as humidity or air pollution, may make it more difficult for some people to breathe.

Health forecasts from the Met Office help medical staff to know when certain patients are most at risk of becoming ill or their condition becoming worse. Warning these patients before this happens can help to prevent their symptoms getting worse and may reduce the need for patients to go into hospital.  

Each week NHS Direct will receive a risk forecast for the local area in the week ahead. If the conditions in the environment will increase patients breathing difficulties of getting worse they will get in touch with you.

Patients will be advised by a health professional a list of actions to be carried out to help prevent a breathing condition from becoming worse.

NHS Direct will contacting nominated patients over the next few weeks by telephone to ask questions about their condition so as to better understand its severity. All information received is confidential.

Karen Clancy, Respiratory Nurse Consultant for Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT said: “Over the years many of the COPD patients that I have supported have commented on how a change in weather, particularly in the winter time, affects their respiratory symptoms. This results in a number of patients experiencing an exacerbation of their symptoms resulting in the need to see their GP or even a spell in hospital.

“This innovative exciting project which has the support from our Rochdale Breathe Easy Support Group will assist people living with COPD to be proactive in their management of their own condition and hopefully enable them to remain well, active and independent during the winter months.”

For more information about the weather and health forecasting visit:

www.metoffice.gov.uk/health/index.html