Aims and objectivesTo investigate the effects of a nurse-led multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation programme conducted in primary health care on functional capacity, quality of life and exacerbation frequency over threeyears among patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. BackgroundAlthough Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a chronic respiratory disease, it has been established that pulmonary rehabilitation has positive effects on patients' everyday functioning. However, the duration of these functional improvements, especially when the rehabilitation programmes are provided in primary health care settings, remains to be established. DesignA quasi-experimental design. MethodPrimary health care patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (GOLD stages II and III) were included; 49 in the intervention group and 54 in the control group. The intervention comprised a six-week pulmonary rehabilitation programme. Functional capacity was assessed using a six-minute walking test and quality of life by the Clinical COPD Questionnaire at baseline, after oneyear and threeyears. Exacerbation frequency was calculated from oneyear before to threeyears after the programme. ResultsNo significant differences between the groups were observed in the six-minute walking-test or the Clinical COPD Questionnaire after oneyear and threeyears. On average, there were significant improvements in the six-minute walking-test and the Clinical COPD Questionnaire from baseline to the one-year follow-up. Exacerbation frequency tended to decrease in the intervention group and increase in the control group (interaction test was p=0091) but increased again in both groups after threeyears. ConclusionThere was no evidence of the benefit of the nurse-led multidisciplinary pulmonary rehabilitation programme, although the exacerbation frequency tended to decrease in the intervention group after oneyear. There is a need for support and coaching at regular follow-ups in primary health care. Relevance to clinical practiceThere is a need to support and coach patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in primary health care by means of regular follow-ups.