The Department of
Respiratory Medicine

The Department of Respiratory Medicine at Dorset County Hospital houses a multi-disciplinary team offering an investigation, diagnosis and management service for patients suffering from lung complaints, including:

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Asthma
• Lung Cancer / Mesothelioma
• Bronchiectasis
• Interstitial Lung Diseases (e.g. fibrosing alveolitis)
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Management of Tuberculosis Infections
• Other respiratory illnesses
  

The department also specialises in less-routine respiratory problems, including:

• Sleep-related breathing disorders (including obstructive sleep apnoea, central apnoeas, hypoventilation disorders, and well as having facilities for full Polysomnography - where brainwave activity is monitored throughout sleep)
• Occupational disorders including asbestos- related lung disease and asthma
• Pre-Operative diagnostic assessments for those with difficult and complex medical histories
  

As well as offering an acute respiratory medicine service for those who suffer a sudden worsening of their chest condition (exacerbation), or for those who experience sudden onset of serious chest symptoms, the department is developing an outpatient service designed to speed up the patient journey, from initial referral through to diagnostic testing and treatment initiation.

 

Dorset Outreach Respiratory Team

The DORT service (currently only available in the Weymouth and Portland district) consists of a dedicated team working to reduce exacerbation rates in those patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). They offer support in both the patient’s home and in hospital, and the teams aims include early discharge from hospital with home follow-up, and admission prevention by the early identification of  ‘at-risk’ patients.

 

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

There is a pulmonary rehabilitation service available to those in designated districts, which is targeted at those with particular lung disorders. This service can help to reduce patients’ symptoms, increase quality of life and reduce exacerbations.

 

TB Service

There is a nurse specialist whose duties include identifying those people with Tuberculosis (TB) infections and those with Latent TB.
Screening is also carried out for new entrants into the country, and for healthcare workers.

 

Lung Cancer / Mesothelioma

There is a lung cancer nurse specialist who offers support to patients and their carers with lung cancer and mesothelioma. She is accessible to patients, carers and members of the health care team throughout the pathway of their care-investigations, treatments and palliative care. The team works closely with a dedicated Oncologist, Thoracic Surgeon and Palliative care team.

 

Lung Function Testing & Diagnostics

The department offers an advanced pulmonary function laboratory, capable of not only performing the basic range of lung function tests, but also advanced procedures such as whole body plethysmography, challenge tests including allergy skin prick tests, cardio-pulmonary exercise tests, shunt fraction tests, long-term oxygen assessments, a range of sleep investigations (oximetry through to full polysomnography), and hypoxic challenge tests (also known inappropriately as ‘Fitness-To-Fly’ tests).
The team can also perform a range of endoscopic procedures, from basic bronchoscopies through to medical thoracoscopy.

 

Staff Members

The team members in the department are broken down into their respective groups.

Physicians
Dr. G.D. Phillips – Consultant Physician
Dr. W. McConnell – Consultant Physician
Dr. M. Docherty – Consultant Physician

Specialist Nurses
Natalie Harper– Respiratory Nurse Specialist
Alex Hillcox-Smith – Lung Nurse Specialist
Sue Reed – COPD Nurse Specialist

Clinical Physiologists
Keith Butterfield – Senior Chief Clinical Physiologist/Service Manager
Chris Jones – Senior Clinical Physiologist

Secretarial/Administrative Staff
Frances Swatridge – Team Leader/Medical Secretary
Margaret Cosh – Clinic Coordinator
Carol Pavey – Senior Assistant Technical Officer
Lyn Barnes– DORT Service Administrative Assistant

 

Contact Details:

Lung Function Tests: 01305 255420
Outpatient Queries: 01305 254238
DORT/TB Service: 01305 253131
Lung Cancer Nurse Specialist: 01305 255289
Secretary to the Consultants – 01305 255259