Respiratory medicine

Overview

Respiratory diseases affect every part of the respiratory system, leading to lung disease and breathing problems. At the Royal Free London, we diagnose and treat a range of lung conditions and breathing problems. Our respiratory medicine team is passionate about improving the lives of adults living with respiratory diseases by delivering first class treatment and our team includes respiratory specialists, nurses, physiotherapists and scientists working with colleagues throughout our hospitals.

Your treatment will depend on the nature of the respiratory disease. For example, asthma treatment ranges from teaching patients to manage their condition through to treating a severe asthma attack. We also provide chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment.

If your symptoms may be related to lung cancer, it is likely that you will meet our specialist lung cancer nurse, who co-ordinates tests and care and provides support. All cancer patients are discussed at a weekly meeting so the most appropriate lung cancer treatment can be recommended.

Notification for all CPAP and NIV (home ventilator) patients

From May 2023, we will change our CPAP and NIV support service provider from Philips Healthcare to Vivisol, an experienced sleep and ventilation service provider. Patients should continue to contact Philips for all consumable replacements and help with your device until your next clinic appointment, or until you receive a letter from Vivisol. The Royal Free London sleep and ventilation team are still your health care professionals and will continue to see you. 

Over the coming weeks, we will work with Vivisol to transfer your information to them. This transfer of information will be done securely in line with General Data Protection Regulation. It will allow you to continue receiving sleep and ventilation support and consumable replenishment. You may be contacted by Vivisol with updates of this process.

If you still have questions, please contact us via emai rf-tr.respiratoryphysiorfh@nhs.net. You can also contact Vivisol on 0800 121 4012, 24 hours a day

Contact

Do you have an appointment?

Find your ward

  • Barnet Hospital

    Wellhouse Lane 
    Barnet 
    Herts 
    EN5 3DJ

     

    Patient and GP enquiries: 020 8216 4600
    Lung function: 020 8216 4534 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)

     

    The lung function department is based on the ground floor, in the cardiology out-patient department.

     

    Clinical nurse specialist at Barnet Hospital: 020 7794 0500 (bleep 712347) or email jan.brown7@nhs.net

  • Chase Farm Hospital

    The Ridgeway 
    Enfield 
    EN2 8JL

     

    Patient and GP enquiries: 020 8375 2999
    Lung function: 020 8375 1030 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)

  • Edgware Community Hospital

    Burnt Oak Broadway
    Edgware
    Middlesex
    HA8 0AD

     

    Patient and GP enquiries: 020 3758 2000

  • Finchley Memorial Hospital

    Granville Road
    North Finchley
    London
    N12 0JE 

     

    Patient and GP enquiries: 020 3758 2000
    Lung function: 020 7472 6848 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)

     

    A community lung function clinic is held once a fortnight on Wednesdays.

  • Royal Free Hospital

    Pond Street
    London
    NW3 2QG

     

    Patient and GP enquiries: 020 7794 0500 x 23331 or 23359

     

    Sleep and ventilation/respiratory physiotherapy team: 020 7472 6623 or email rf-tr.respiratoryphysiorfh@nhs.net

     

    Thoracic medicine secretaries: 020 7794 0500 x23359

     

    Philips Respironics sleep support team: 0800 650 0303

     

    Lung function: 020 7472 6848 or 020 7794 0500 x22466 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm)

     

    The lung function department is based on the 2nd floor, in area 3 of PITU. Access is easiest via the main hospital stairs or lifts.

     

    Clinical nurse specialist: 020 7794 0500 x38883 (bleep 711273) or email tareq.ayoob@nhs.net

Referrals

Referral details

Referrals to the respiratory medicine department can be made via a GP or hospital doctor. We regret we cannot see patients without an appointment. Electronic referrals from a GP may be made through the choose and book system.

All new patient referrals are initially reviewed in our out-patient clinics. Patients who require follow-up care will then be followd up in an out-patient clinic or in one of the dedicated respiratory laboratories. If any patients require in-patient treatment they are admitted to one of our high dependency respiratory beds.

Referrals to the lung-function service
Patients are seen by prior appointment and whenever possible, on the same day as their appointment with the doctor. We will need a referral letter or a completed request form from the consultant, informing us of the patient's history, the test required and any other relevant information. We see out-patients, in-patients and tertiary referrals.

Referrals to the sleep and ventilation service
To make a referral for an out-patient please send a referral letter to: Sleep and ventilation consultants, thoracic medicine, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG. You can also refer patient through the e-referral service.

If you are currently caring for an in-patient at another trust who requires assessment for domiciliary NIV please complete the referral form and return it to the sleep and ventilation service: rf-tr.respiratoryphysiorfh@nhs.net. To discuss your referral please contact the consultant physiotherapists on 020 7472 6623 or 020 7794 0500 bleep 1041. We offer both a day case and outreach service for patients requiring domiciliary NIV for discharge home from hospital.

The Team

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