Cardiovascular and Respiratory
Date Updated: 24 Oct 2024



Community Respiratory Team

Description

The Service aims to deliver specialist respiratory care to clients living with a chronic respiratory condition within the community. It aims to facilitate early supported hospital discharge and prevent hospital admission. The team also provide pulmonary rehabilitation, self-management, education and advice, which enables and empowers clients to live independent lives. The team deliver the Home Oxygen Assessment and Review (HOSAR) service for the Southern Trust.

Patients with a confirmed diagnosis (evidence from spirometry) of COPD / Bronchiectasis/ Interstitial lung Disease- exacerbation management
Prevention of Hospital admission
Long term Management

Home Oxygen Assessment & Review- with Arterial Blood Gas analysis
Provision of Pulmonary rehabilitation and Maintenance Pulmonary rehabilitation programs for the area
Home visits and clinic referrals
Advisory role for other health professional / specialist teams
Digital monitoring for appropriate Respiratory Patients

Referral Criteria

For Long Term Disease Management & Acute Exacerbation Management:

  • Those without a respiratory diagnosis will not be accepted
  • Severe acute asthmatics
  • Neurological patients
  • Patients with haemoptysis
  • Severe hypoxia
  • Haemodynamically unstable / Tachycardia (>120bpm)
  • Acute type 2 respiratory Failure
  • Impaired consciousness
  • Suspected lung cancer or TB
  • Acute Pulmonary oedema

Exclusion Criteria for Pulmonary rehabilitation :

  • Activity limited by locomotor problems or cognitive impairment.
  • Apathy/ not motivated.
  • Unstable Angina or decompensated Heart Failure.
  • Embolism or MI within the past 6 weeks.
  • 2nd or 3rd degree heart block
  • DVT at present.
  • Contraindications: * Metastatic cancer * Unstable asthma * Unstable hypertension
  • SpO2 <90%

Home Oxygen Assessment and Review (HOS-AR)

Oxygen is not recommended for those who are still smoking, given the high risk of fire.

  • Patients with neurological condition must be seen by a respiratory consultant before referral.
  • Patient should be without exacerbation for 5-6 weeks and clinically stable
Service Access

Urgent referrals should be made via telephone with a follow up written referral via the agreed route

Team accept self-referrals for patients previously known to the service

  • CCG GP referrals
  • Consultant Respiratory Physician referrals
  • Acute Respiratory Team referrals
  • AHP and DN referrals

Access Times

Monday - Friday:

8:30am - 4:30pm


Telephone

Part time admin cover for phonelines in mornings, if not answered then clinical staff when available will pick up off voicemail . For all urgent referrals clinical staff can be contacted via the mobile numbers below, if no answer at base number.

CONTACT DETAILS

Craigavon & Banbridge

028 3756 3168

07464 493672

Armagh & Dungannon

028 3756 4935

07464 493950

Newry & Mourne

028 3756 7164

07464 493951

Referrals can also be made to team email address of locality team:

copdcb.referrals@southerntrust.hscni.net

copdad.referrals@southerntrust.hscni.net

copdnm.referrals@southerntrust.hscni.net 


Location
Trustwide Community Respiratory service – with locality team cover

Response
Prevention of admission 24hrs, same day where at all possible. Urgent - within 2 weeks. Routine -within 6/52