A woman suffering leukaemia says she "felt like Superwoman" after an exercise programme stopped 14 years of coughing.

Molly Wilkinson was referred by her GP to take lung exercise classes at the Willesden Sports Centre at the end of July.

The 67-year-old grandmother said she had been coughing "all day and all night" for 14 years, had been hospitalised four times and was "endlessly" taking antibiotics.

The Brent and Harrow Community Respiratory Services at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH) offers patients with chronic respiratory diseases various services including pulmonary rehabilitation.

Over the six week course Molly was taught theory about lungs and oxygen, learned breathing exercises, physical exercises with weights, was told to come off dairy as it causes phlegm, and drink a litre-and-a-half of water "to make the phlegm less sticky".

Before getting halfway through the ten session programme, Molly says she stopped coughing.

"Coughing is one of the symptoms of leukaemia so I couldn't believe it when it stopped and I felt like Superwoman. I finished the course and just wanted to keep it up so I joined a gym," she said.

"I'd been endlessly on antibiotics and they would work but when they finished I'd start coughing again. Now I'm antibiotic free, it really is amazing."

But Molly has recently contracted Covid for the second time, meaning her cough has returned for now.

"It's not as bad as the first time in 2021 when I spent 10 days in hospital but the coughing is exhausting, I'm tired, my nose is streaming and I can't taste or smell anything."

Claire Collins, consultant respiratory physiotherapist at CLCH said more than 250 patients have been assessed this year.

“After completing the programme, many patients show improvements in breathlessness, their fitness and ability to do daily activities.

"They often report that they understand and can manage their conditions better.

“We are delighted to hear that [Molly] has found our exercise programme beneficial and that we have played a part in helping her to gain the skills and knowledge to improve and manage her condition."