Integrated Respiratory Team

• Supported Early Discharge: This is a service for patients admitted to hospital with an exacerbation of their Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The aim is to help get the patient discharged from hospital (to the support of the team) as soon as it is safe to do so. Once discharged this is normally in the form of a daily home visit for the first few days followed by telephone reviews as appropriate. 

• Home Support: This service is for patients who are experiencing an exacerbation of COPD. The aim of this service is to prevent hospital admission by supporting the patient at home. Housebound patients may benefit from this service and those with severe disease who may be nearing end of life and have chosen to remain at home with their family.

• Oxygen Assessment Clinics: This aspect of the service is offered to patients who may need oxygen therapy as part of their treatment plan. A full assessment is undertaken, which includes a blood test and a walk test. None of these tests should be painful but they are necessary to find out who needs oxygen and how much. It is important that everybody who has oxygen at home attends these clinics. These are now community clinics to bring the care closer to home. The venues for these are Eagle Bridge, Crewe and Dene Drive, Winsford.

• Nebuliser trials: Nebulisers are devices that are designed to deliver stronger dosages of medication or antibiotics (for certain lung conditions) delivered to the lungs in a fine mist. A nebuliser is often used for a short period of time when the patient is having a flare up of their condition but in some patients with severe breathing difficulties nebulisers may be helpful long term however, the patient needs to be assessed for this. Nebulised Antibiotics typically continue for 6 months. The Integrated Respiratory Team (IRT) will organise this for the patient once a referral from the health care professional has been received. 

• Pulmonary rehabilitation: This is a specialised exercise and information class for people with lung conditions. The pulmonary rehabilitation programme helps to keep the patients as fit as possible, helps the patient and their carers to understand the condition and the best way to control those symptoms. The programme teaches the patient how to deal with flare ups (exacerbations) and most importantly how to get on and enjoy life as much as possible. The patient attends the class for two hours twice per week for a period of 6 weeks. They will be invited for an initial assessment by the physiotherapists prior to commencing the class. We have several ways to offer this service including a digital platform. Venues are across the locality.

• Respiratory Physioptherapy: Specialist Physiotherapists provide information and treatment on irregular breathing patterns and chest clearance techniques.

• Palliative Care support: The IRT can give advice and support (for non-cancer diagnosis) to help patients and their carers control the symptoms of breathlessness, pain and other distressing symptoms such as panic, anxiety and depression that can be associated with severe and late-stage lung disease. The IRT links in with the palliative care teams at St. Luke's Hospice in Winsford.  

• Community Respiratory Specialist Clinic: The patients may require a full assessment of their lung condition especially in cases where the condition may not be responding to treatment as well as expected or where further investigation or medication optimisation is required. The clinics are held at Dene Drive, Winsford, Eaglebridge Health and Wellbeing Centre, Crewe, and Weaverham Clinic in Northwich.

• Covid Virtual Ward: This is for patients who have been hospitalised with Covid-19 and need further support following discharge. 

• Post-Covid Recovery Service: This is a multi-disciplinary team including GPs, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists and Specialist Nurses who provide a program of recovery/rehabilitation for those people affected by the long-term effects (symptoms still present after 12 weeks of diagnosis) of Covid.

• Advice and resource: Advice can be given over the telephone for clinicians, patients and carers.  

The team operates a ‘single point of referral’ system. This means if you are referred you can have access to any of the services offered without having to have a new referral.

We will accept referrals from your hospital consultant, GP, physiotherapist or nurse.

Those patients who attend the oxygen assessment clinic or have been seen at home by one of the respiratory team before can contact the team directly for advice when symptoms worsen.