Asthma
Our asthma team is made up of specialist doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, physiologists and health psychologists. We hold a monthly severe asthma multidisciplinary team meeting across our hospitals where patients and the management of their care is discussed. Most adult patients who come to hospital with an asthma attack are reviewed by the clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
The asthma CNS provides the following services:
- telephone and email support
- asthma management plans and education
- medication advice
- reviewing patients in the emergency department to enable safe discharge
- anti-IgE (Xolair) therapy
- specialist asthma clinics
- in-patient review and education
- training for ward nurses and primary care nurses.
Contact
Clinical nurse specialist at Barnet Hospital: 020 7794 0500 (bleep 712347) or email jan.brown7@nhs.net
Clinical nurse specialist at the Royal Free Hospital: 020 7794 0500 x38883 (bleep 711273) or email RF-TR.Respiratory-fax@nhs.net
Anti-IgE (Omalizumab/Xolair) service
Omalizumab (Xolair) is given in injection form to reduce the symptoms of asthma. It is offered to patients who have severe allergic asthma that does not respond to inhaled or oral asthma therapies, including high oral corticosteroid use. It works by reducing the effects of inflammatory cells which cause asthma symptoms.
The Xolair clinic runs on every Wednesday on 2 North PITU (planned investigation and treatment unit) ward at the Royal Free Hospital.
Patients must complete a 16-week assessment of the therapy during which objective measures of symptom improvements are reviewed and a clinical decision is made in conjunction with the lead consultant before continuation of the lifelong treatment.