Pulmonary rehabilitation is a free 8-week program that helps people with long-term lung conditions feel better and live more independently. At the beginning, we’ll do a personal health assessment to understand your needs and make sure the program is safe for you. Then we’ll create a personalised plan, including gentle exercises you can do at home.

Each week, you’ll take part in:

  • Group exercise sessions twice a week to help build strength and fitness
  • Education sessions to learn how to manage your condition

You’ll learn how to:

  • Breathe more easily
  • Use your medications correctly
  • Eat well to support your health
  • Stay active in your daily life

You’ll also meet other people with similar conditions, who understand what you are going through.

What to wear and bring:

  • Comfortable clothes and walking shoes
  • Any walking aids you use
  • A list of your current medications and your inhalers
  • Portable oxygen (if you use it)

Carers and partners are welcomed to attend education sessions with you.

Conditions seen

Barwon Health offers a pulmonary rehabilitation program for people with chronic lung conditions, such as:

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Interstitial lung disease

You may benefit from this program if:

  • You feel breathless doing everyday tasks.
  • You’ve recently been in hospital because of your lung condition.
  • You want to feel more confident managing your health.

Conditions not seen

Barwon Health pulmonary rehabilitation program is not suitable for people who:

  • Hve serious heart problems or other medical issues that make exercise unsafe.
  • Cannot take part in group or home-based exercise due to severe mobility or thinking difficulties
  • Do not have a long-term lung condition.

If you’re unsure, speak to your doctor or contact our team.

How do I access this service

To be attend this program you need to be referred by your GP or a specialist doctor (like a lung doctor).

We are unable to see you in our clinics without a referral.

Wait time

All requests for specialist clinic appointments are scheduled according to the patient’s clinical need. Clinicians assess whether an appointment is urgent or routine, based on information provided in the referral.

Barwon Health aims to see all ‘urgent’ referrals within 30 days. Our wait times for patients who are categorised as ‘routine’ are more variable, depending on the demand for our services.

The projected wait time listed below are only estimated timeframes for routine (non-urgent) patients.

Speciality
Projected wait time

No Wait times to show

For Health Professionals

State-referral criteria may apply for conditions under this specialty requiring further assessment and management. Referring clinicians are encouraged to utilise Western Victoria Community HealthPathways for referral guidelines and requirements for all conditions.

Complete the specialist clinics referral template and send via:

  • ReferralNet
  • McKellar Community Rehabilitation Centre
  • Belmont Community Rehabilitation Centre

Referral templates for Barwon Health services are available for importing into Best Practice, Medical Director or ZedMed. Please see the Referral templates page for the most up-to-date forms.

If you do not use the above clinical software, please complete a referral letter on your practice/health service letterhead, ensuring all required referral information is included.

If you need to contact us regarding the templates, please contact the GP Liaison Unit on 03 4215 8845 or [email protected].

For patients who require reassessment, a new referral should be sent through. To facilitate earlier access, the new referral must contain the following information:

  • State the referral is an update for a current patient
  • Date of original referral
  • Reason for requesting a review of referral (e.g. deterioration in clinical condition, pathology)

The referrer will be notified of the outcome of the re-triage process.

GPs or referring doctors wishing to discuss the triage of their patient’s referral, or who require additional information, please ring Community Rehabilitation 03 4215 5301.

Page last updated: September 9, 2025