Fitness company agrees new NHS supply deal
A Birmingham fitness business that devises exercise programmes to encourage older people to keep active in later life has secured a new supply deal.
The NHS’ Birmingham-based Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group has signed Move it or Lose it to provide free programmes to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients.
Working in 49 GP practices across Birmingham, patients are offered a free 12-week exercise and support programme to encourage them to become more active and reduce the effects of their illness.
The exercises aim to decrease the number of emergency hospital admissions, each of which cost the NHS between £1,960 and £5,000 per COPD patient, due to the complex nature of their conditions.
The weekly sessions, which are delivered within the GP surgeries, have shown significant improvement in patient’s health. In addition to reducing the use of medication, individuals showed a 127% increase in leg strength, as well as a marked improvement in walking speed – shown to directly reduce the risk of frailty, falls and other illnesses.
More than a quarter (27%) showed an improvement in functional mobility to within the normal age-related range.
The programme is also proving more popular than traditional pulmonary rehab, with adherence levels of 66% compared with 50%. Patients are also enjoying the workouts, with many benefitting from higher levels of social interaction.
Julie Robinson, founder of Move it or Lose it, said: “Because people suffering from COPD can become over exerted quickly, it’s important that they take part in a tailored exercise programme that gradually builds their fitness and improves their health.
“The sessions have been designed to take place within the surgeries and can even be done seated. We go through a warm-up, aerobic and strength-building exercises using resistance bands to improve endurance levels, along with exercises to improve flexibility and balance.
“We do an hour class followed by an informal educational session; ways to use inhalers, smoking cessation or how to reduce sedentary behaviour, for example. We’re also able to tie in with things like the flu jabs, saving the GP practices a huge amount of time by bringing people together in one place.”
She said over the course of the three-month programme patients became more confident and fitter, often reducing their dependencies on medication.
“If we can help people to improve their condition, then we can save the NHS money on admissions, GP visits and medication,” she added.
As the number of classes increases, the firm is looking to recruit new instructors to help deliver the programmes.
