Respiratory Clinics
Our respiratory clinics in the surgery care for people with Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, as well as supporting patients with Bronchiectasis and Interstitial Lung Disease.
Due to the current pandemic the way that we manage our patients has had to change, we are currently unable to see you face to face in surgery, however we are able to support you by phone and video call.
In order to help us we are sending out questionaires with your review appointments, please read through these and try to complete them prior to your appointment time if possible. Don’t worry if you can’t though, we can go through it with you. These questionaires are designed to help us assess how well your respiratory disease is currently managed.
Asthma Clinic
These clinics are run by Cathy, Michelle and Tim
We should be reviewing all our patients with asthma each year (this can now be a phone or video call), however we are happy to review patients more frequently and if they are having a problems.
We should be speaking to you if you are needing your reliever inhaler more the 3 times a week most weeks or if your asthma control is deteriorating.
You can check your own asthma control through Asthma UK at
https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/manage-your-asthma/risk/checker/?step=1
We are trying to ensure that all our patients who would like one have access to an Asthma Action Plan that contains information and advice on how to manage your asthma, you will be offered one of these at your asthma review.
One of the most important aspects of asthma care is ensuring that your inhaler technique is optimum. If your technique is not right then the medication will not get deposited in the correct area of the lungs, normally we would check your inhaler technique when we review you in surgery however you can check your own technique by reviewing the videos available on the Asthma UK website.
https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
These clinics are run by Cathy and Michelle.
Again we are offering reviews at least yearly for our patients with COPD, again these can be by phone or video.
We are no longer undertaking yearly breathing tests for all our patients, in fact currently we are not recommended to undertake any spirometry testing in surgery due to the current risks. This does not however mean that we cannot assess you, the use of the COPD Assessment Test allows us to assess the impact of the disease on your life and try to find ways to mitigate those effects.
Presently due to the pandemic there are not opportunities to refer to Pulmonary Rehabilitation Clinics however this is a useful course which we intend to refer into once the situation changes.
For patients with COPD the main therapies are inhaled and inhaler technique is just as important as it is for asthmatics. The Asthma UK resource (https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/) is suitable for you to review your own inhaler technique as although the drugs used may differ the devices used are the same.
The British Lung Foundation is an excellent organisation and has an accessible and informative website.
https://www.blf.org.uk/
Diabetic Clinic
Diabetes is a lifelong condition where your own body's ability to produce sufficient insulin to regulate the amount of sugar in your blood is impaired. It is often associated with the body being unable to make maximum use of the insulin that is around (Insulin resistance). Having high blood sugar levels for prolonged periods is associated with problems with the eyes, kidneys, the circulation and nerve supply to the feet, and makes diabetics more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes.
Diabetes can run in families and is much more common in people who are overweight. If you would like to be checked for diabetes make an appointment with the nurses and bring a sample of urine to your appointment.
What happens at the Clinic?
The Diabetic clinic at the surgery is run by Sister Diane Shipp and Sister Lynne Jones. If you are diabetic, you will be sent a reminder to have a twice yearly check-up; you will be able to book an appointment at your convenience.