Approximately 1.2 million people live with COPD which causes breathlessness, difficulty with daily activities, frequent infections and hospitalisation. Pulmonary rehabilitation programmes offer exercises and advice to help control symptoms such as breathlessness and fatigue. They improve quality of life and help people to avoid hospital admissions. Many patients do not receive pulmonary rehabilitation because they do not know about it or healthcare professionals caring for them do not refer them. Of those referred 31% do not take up the offer. Previous attempts to encourage referral and uptake have had some success but there are no well proven solutions with clear evidence of what works.