Shining a spotlight on our Respiratory service
This month we're shining a spotlight on our Respiratory service.
Each month we're focusing on different teams and services across the organisation, sharing details of who they are, showcasing their role and the difference their service makes to our patients.
What does the service provide?
First Community's Respiratory service is a multidisciplinary group of specialist nurses and therapists who see patients with non-malignant respiratory diseases such as:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Bronchiectasis
- Pulmonary Fibrosis/Interstitial lung disease
- Asthma.
The service aims to:
- Improve quality of life by helping people to self-manage their condition in order to prevent or lessen the effect of acute attacks and to avoid the need for admission to hospital
- Provide advice regarding respiratory conditions
- Review respiratory medication
- Provide assessment and trial of nebulisers
- Improve exercise tolerance and general health
- Manage breathlessness symptoms
- Assess and support patients with ambulatory or long term oxygen therapy.
What types of support does the service provide?
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation: specialised assessment and an exercise and education programme to patients who have a long-term respiratory condition
- Community chest physiotherapy: specialised assessment, chest clearance exercises and techniques and advice to patients who have a long-term respiratory condition
- Nurse clinic appointments and home visits: respiratory assessments, along with treatment planning, including medication management and review of inhaled therapy
- Oxygen service : oxygen assessments in patient homes and in clinics. Assessments can be undertaken for oxygen prescription and ambulatory oxygen needs.
Who can access the service?
- Patients over the age of 18 and registered with a GP in east Surrey.
- Have a confirmed diagnosis - COPD, asthma, Interstitial lung disease or pulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis.
Who is part of the Respiratory service?
The Community Respiratory service is a specialist team of nurses, physiotherapists, rehabilitation assistant and administrators, offering support for people with a confirmed respiratory condition.
How can patients access the service
Patients can be referred to the service by a healthcare professional.
How to contact the service?
- Tel: 01737 775476
- 8.30am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays
- fchc.respiratory@nhs.net
What do patients say about the service?
The specialist practitioner changed my life and I feel so much better.
The best service I have ever had! Excellent, knowledgeable and highly specialist.
I have been given full information about my condition and treatment and given the confidence to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
For more information about the service, please visit our website.