Supporting people with a long term health condition to be active

For Healthcare professionals wishing to support their patients to be active

Information for Healthcare Professionals

Physical activity is safe, even for people living with multiple long term health conditions. Regular physical activity, in combination with standard medical care, has an important role in the management and prevention of many long term health conditions. The benefits of physical activity far outweigh any risks.

We believe everyone, including people living with long term health conditions should be supported to move more in a way that matters most them. Several specialised and supported physical activity programmes are available in the community for people who require them. These include:

A broader suite of physical activity opportunities including but not limited to guided walks, community classes, and beginner sports sessions are also available in most areas.

*As of December 11th 2023 most people will be able to access this scheme without being referred by a healthcare professional (subject to eligibility) People should be directed to their local physical activity services contact form where they'll subsequently be supported to access this scheme.

**Requires clinical referral using approved referral form below or County Cardiac Rehab (not secondary care) PRISM referral pathway.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do these programmes/services cost?

Most programmes, schemes and classes cost money. Costs vary per location and can range from free guided walks, low cost community classes and walking sports, to concessionary leisure centre memberships. For more information, please contact your local physical activity and health team by clicking here

Are the same programmes/services available in each area?

There are some consistent offers throughout Leicestershire, such as our falls prevention programme Steady Steps. Each area contains at least one leisure centre, which delivers a variety of physical activity opportunities. Please contact your local physical activity and health team by clicking here for more information.

Do Healthcare professionals still need to medically refer certain people?

Most people living in Leicestershire no longer require a medical referral from a Healthcare professional before they begin a new programme of activity. Anyone requiring support to move more should be directed their local physical activity service and then supported to move more in a way that matters most to them.

Healthcare professionals and our local physical activity teams reserve the right to request more information on any patients whom they deem to be 'complex'. In such cases, a Complex Patient Referral Form (see below) should be completed by an appropriate Healthcare professional in discussion with the patient and then transferred securely to the local physical activity service.

Patients wishing to access community based Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Programmes still require a medical referral.

Equivalent services remain unaffected for Leicester City and Rutland residents. For more information, please contact the LiveWell Leicester Team or Active Rutland

How do people get the support they need if they no longer need to be referred?

Healthcare professionals are no longer being asked to medically clear and refer most patients before they start to become more active. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to signpost people via SMS and localised 'tear-off' pads to complete a local 'contact form' which on completion will be triaged by local physical activity specialists. SMS templates can be found further down the page. Tear offs can be downloaded and printed at the bottom of this page

Who can I contact in my area if I want to find out more information?

Please contact local physical activity and health teams by clicking here.

Has the Exercise Referral Scheme ended?

No. Anyone who wishes to attend their local scheme in Leicestershire will be supported to do so, subject to eligibility criteria. These schemes still typically take place in a Leisure Centre for 12 weeks. Most people wishing to access these schemes will no longer require a medical referral from a Healthcare professional.

Do I still need to clinically refer patients to cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services (Phase IV) in the community? How do I do that?

Yes. Most referrals into this service come via Secondary care Cardiac Rehab departments throughout UHL using an editable electronic referral document which can be accessed via the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Programme (Phase IV) section of this webpage.

A new PRISM pathway County Cardiac Rehab (not secondary care) has been created to allow colleagues in General Practice to refer eligible patients to this service.

How do I know my patient is ‘safe’ to exercise?

In October 2021, The Physical Activity Risk Consensus Group concluded that physical activity is considered safe for most people. Evidence does not support routine preparticipation medical clearance for people with stable LTCs if they build up gradually from their current level. The need for medical guidance, as opposed to clearance, should be determined by individuals with specific concerns about active symptoms. Local physical activity and health teams will carry out the appropriate level of pre participation screening they deem necessary including the industry gold standard Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PARQ) and more recent Health Commitment Statements used throughout most Leisure Providers.

Healthcare professionals and our local physical activity teams reserve the right to request more information on any patients whom they deem to be 'complex'. In such cases, a Complex Patient Referral Form (see below) should be completed by an appropriate Healthcare professional in discussion with the patient and then transferred securely to the local physical activity service.

How do i know when not to recommend physical activity to people?

Physical activity is safe, even for people living with symptoms of multiple long-term conditions. However, people living with long term conditions may have specific concerns about the symptoms and signs they experience from their condition. A summary of the available evidence and recommendations of appropriate advice for healthcare professionals to share with people experiencing common symptoms can be viewed by clicking here

Physical activity should not be recommended to anyone experiencing any of these absolute contraindications:

  • Ongoing unstable angina
  • Uncontrolled cardiac arrhythmia with haemodynamic compromise
  • Active endocarditis
  • Symptomatic severe aortic stenosis
  • Decompensated heart failure
  • Acute pulmonary embolism pulmonary infarction or deep venous thrombosis
  • Acute myocarditis or pericarditis
  • Acute aortic dissection

I’d like to be able to support my patients to move more but I don’t feel confident, what can i do?

Please visit the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Moving Medicine website, the ultimate resource to help healthcare professionals in Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland integrate physical activity conversations into routine clinical care.

Do i still need to medically refer Leicester City and Rutland residents?

Yes. Residents of Leicester City and Rutland wishing to access their local 'Exercise Referral Scheme' still require medical referral from a healthcare professional. For more information, please contact the LiveWell Leicester Team or Active Rutland

Signposting people to their Local Physical Activity Service

Local physical activity services can be contacted throughout Leicestershire and Rutland providing personalised support to help their residents move more.

SMS Templates

  • SMS Templates SMS Templates (PDF, 62 Kb)

    Healthcare professionals are encouraged to send an SMS to anyone who wants additional information and support to move more in their local area. Each SMS contains the contact information of the local physical activity service.

A6 Tear-Off Pads - Web Versions (WinZip Folder)

  • A6 Tear Off Pad Web Versions

    Please click the download button below to access and print the web versions of the A6 Tear-Off Pads. They should be used to signpost people to their local physical activity service and complete the relevant Contact Form.

Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Programme (Phase IV)

For more information please contact:

Andrew Harris

Andrew Harris

Development Manager

Active Together

I am working flexibly in the office or at home, therefore please contact me via email or phone number provided.

My areas of responsibility are:

- Active Referral (Leicestershire Central Coordination)
- ESCAPE-pain (Leicestershire Central Coordination LCC funded pilots)
- Fit4Surgery Prehabilitation (Cancer) Programme
- Walk, Run, Cycle Together
- North West Leicestershire Link Officer

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Telephone
01509 467483