'Prehabilitation’ service helps North Wales patients before operations

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board’s “prehabilitation” course comprises a number of supervised exercise and wellbeing sessions.

It tries to increase patients’ chances of getting through their operation with fewer complications, and to improve their understanding of the pre- and post-operative process.

The service also provides support on wellbeing and lifestyle, and helps patients prepare for and recover from their surgery more quickly.

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Before starting on the programme, patients will attend a pre-operative assessment clinic to check their medical conditions.

“Prehabilitation” itself involves three weekly sessions for a month with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and exercise specialists, and group sessions split into one hour of exercises and another hour of wellbeing sessions.

Patients will be encouraged to follow a home exercise programme with, support from the prehabilitation team.

They will also be required to attend three group sessions per week, to help them prepare physically and mentally for surgery.

Wellbeing sessions will focus on eating well, managing stress/anxiety, relaxation techniques, sleeping well, and smoking cessation.

The health board says that the programme will help cancer patients get through their courses of treatment, make surgery safer, and improve patients’ long-term health.

Those who take on the programme while having chemotherapy or radiotherapy will be offered guidance on appropriate levels of exercise.

Betsi Cadwaladr added: “Research tells us that exercising during cancer treatment is safe and actually makes patients feel better.

“It is important to stay as active as possible. Regular contact with the therapists during your treatment will help support your progress.”