Respiratory medicine services

The Respiratory Department at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals is at the forefront of many pioneering procedures to ensure that patients get the best possible care.

The Department has many sub-specialty areas including:

Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) Service
Pleural Disease (access to ward-based ultrasound machine)
Medical Thoracoscopy
Oxygen Clinics and Oxygen Assessment Services
Pulmonary Physiology
Sleep and ventilation medicine
Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA)
Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Lung Cancer including Specialist Palliative Care
Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)

People who need inpatient care for a respiratory condition will receive this on Florence Nightingale Ward or Marjorie Warren Ward.

Medical Thoracoscopy

Medical Thoracoscopy is an investigative test when a patient has plural effusion - which is when excess fluid accumulates between the two pleural layers, the fluid-filled space that surrounds the lungs.

Patients having a Medical Thoracoscopy are sedated and have a local anaesthetic. The procedure involves draining any pleural fluid which is then tested. Patients require a chest drain and a short admission until the affected lung has fully re-expanded.

An alterntive test is a video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). The Respiratory Department work closely with the surgeons at The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) and refer patients suited for surgical VATS to the surgeons there.

Oxygen Clinic and Oxygen Assessment Servicez

Oxygen is prescribed to approximately 85,000 patients in England for a range of conditions. It is important that the prescription is correct and appropriate for the individuals receiving this therapy.

The oxygen service at Basildon Hospital is assesses adult patients requiring oxygen. Staff ensure patients and their families are fully aware of the treatment, equipment, expectations and their responsibilities; this is in addition to the home safety assessment reviews. Written guidelines are provided to patients, along with a personal record of results and plan for therapy.

Patients have a choice of three locations to attend clinics:

Orsett Hospital
Brentwood Community Hospital
Basildon University Hospital
All patients have access to telephone support.

The team work closely with community teams and other local services (e.g. smoking cessation) and will refer patients as appropriate.

Pulmonary Physiology Department

Location:

Pulmonary Physiology Department,
The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre,
Basildon University Hospital,
Nethermayne,
Basildon,
Essex, SS16 5NL

Opening times: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm

Telephone: 01268 524900 ext 4033

Who the service is for

The department offers its service to all patients lung and cardiac problems. We test adults and some paediatric patients who are inpatients and referred as outpatients. These patients are referred from a variety of specialities such as Rheumatology, Cardiothoracic surgery, Cardiology, General surgery, Renal, Respiratory, Vascular, Upper GI and directly from GP practices.

About the service

The Pulmonary Physiology Department carries out a wide range of diagnostic tests to assess lungs function, cardio-respiratory function and muscle strength. These tests also evaluate responsiveness to treatment.

The specialised tests and investigations include:

Spirometry
Lung volumes (helium dilution/body plethysmography)
Gas diffusion
Bronchodilator response
Pulse oximetry
Airway resistance
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Tests (CPET)
Bronchial and exercise provocation tests
Respiratory muscle strength
Fitness to fly assessments
Arterial/capillary ear lobe blood gases
Six minute walk test

These tests are used by clinicians to help diagnose lung diseases and measure the extent of damage caused by the lung conditions. They are also used to assess the effect of medication and to measure the progress in the treatment of disease.

Sleep and ventilation medicine

Location:

The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre,
Basildon University Hospital,
Nethermayne,
Basildon,
Essex, SS16 5NL

Telephone: 01268 524900 ext 4033

Who the service is for

The service is for patients who suffer with excessive daytime sleepiness, snoring, morning headaches, restless legs, non-restorative sleep and awakening gasping for breath.

We also treat patients with chronic respiratory failure secondary to COPD on home non-invasive ventilation.

About the service

The sleep and ventilation medicine service provides rapid diagnosis of various sleep problems and help to identify the most appropriate treatment.

The service provides expertise in the diagnosis and management of ventilatory disorders during sleep, including:

obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome,
sleep disordered breathing,
hypoventilation syndromes
assessment of respiratory failure secondary to a variety of conditions.

We offer a full range of diagnostics and treatment options including:

Inpatient sleep studies (partial polysomnography)
Home sleep studies (partial polysomnography)
Full inpatient polysomnography (from June 2014)
Individual and group treatment
Assessment for nocturnal oxygen
Blood gas analysis
Non-Invasive Ventilation (CPAP and)
Non-Invasive Ventilation (BiPAP)
Lifestyle advice and health education
Patients with confirmed obstructive sleep apnoea are offered CPAP treatment, as appropriate, and are supported by our clinical team, qualified physiologists and senior nurses.

Patients with chronic respiratory failure (COPD / Motor Neurone Disease) will be treated with home ventilation from the department.

Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA)

The needle used is a special needle, with suction syringe, tailor-made for this procedure.

The technique of EBUS-TBNA is:

Safe
Minimally invasive
Reduces the need to stay in hospital
Is very sensitive to detect malignant lymph nodes

Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Asthma

The Trust provides a comprehensive Asthma service, working closely with primary care.

Patients with difficult asthma are seen regularly.

All inpatients admitted with asthma exacerbations are identified by the Respiratory Team and each patient is reviewed by a senior member of the Respiratory Team prior to discharge.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

We care for a large number of patients with COPD in conjunction with our primary care colleagues and the Community COPD team. All COPD patients admitted to Basildon Hospital are reviewed by a respiratory nurse and a dedicated respiratory consultant. A management plan is provided to the patient prior to the patient’s discharge and appropriate follow up arranged.

Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD), also known as diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) describes several diseases that affect the interstitium and are less common respiratory conditions. There are different types of ILD including:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
Nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP)
Acute interstitial pneumonitis (AIP)
Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia or bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP)
Desquamative interstitial pneumonia (DIP)
Lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP)
Respiratory bronchiolitis interstitial lung disease (RBILD)

Patients with this group of illnesses are usually referred to the respiratory physicians for the condition to be diagnosed and managed.

Respiratory medicine

The diagnosis and management of all the common respiratory disorders.These include COPD, (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, cystic fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer, mesothelioma, TB, bronchiectasis, sleep and ventilatory disorders, pulmonary vascular disease and pleural (lung) disease. Our sleep apnoea service is one of the largest in theUKand we have a 'hospital at home' scheme for our COPD patients.

FADS

FADS is a support group run by medical professional and volunteers and is dedicated to providing support and reassurance to people with implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The group is run by two dedicated cardiac physiologists and meets every four months. Each meeting covers a different topic relating to ICDs and guest speakers may also appear.

PACERS

PACERS is a support group run by medical professional and volunteers and is dedicated to providing support and reassurance to people with pacemakers. The group is run by two dedicated cardiac physiologists and meets every four months. Each meeting covers a different topic relating to ICDs and guest speakers may also appear.

Contact us

Cardiac and medical day stay: 01702 435555 ext 6424/5525
Coronary care unit (Sita Lumsden ward): 01702 385026
Echocardiography department: 01702 435555 ext 8185
Gordon Hopkins ward: 01702 385119
Heart & chest department: 01702 435555 ext 6091/5031
ICD follow-up clinic: 01702 385503