Department Head: Hugh Lloyd

Location: HH: 1st Floor, Patient Services Centre

Telephone: 01895828589

Fax: 01895828731

Availability

Mon-Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Overview

The Department provides a service in Respiratory, Exercise, Sleep and Oesophageal Physiology, for in-patients, and out- patients from Harefield Hospital and all other hospitals in this section of the Region.

Referrals are received from other hospitals with their own laboratories as this department is able to provide a greater range of investigations.

Information for doctors

The department provides a comprehensive range of investigations in order to:

• Aid diagnosis

• Give an objective assessment of how a condition affects the patient functionally

• Display and define the contribution of any secondary condition.

Monitor improvement with treatment or deterioration with time.

Investigations are performed on patients with various types of lung disease, cardiac and oesophageal conditions and, on occasions, patients being considered for non thoracic surgery when their cardio-pulmonary state gives cause for concern.

Patients are assessed prior to heart and/or lung transplantation and have regular post operative lung function tests to monitor their progress and to help detect, as early as possible, any deterioration in the functional state of the lungs due to either episodes of infection or rejection.

All patients are treated as individuals, with care and attention in order to alleviate any fears or apprehensions they may have.

All relevant procedures are fully explained to each patient so that maximum co-operation is gained in order that each investigation is performed to the best of their ability.

This enables the Department to continue to produce high quality reports and maintain its standard of results.
A of clinical interpretation of each patient’s results is made by the Principal Clinical Physiologist and the report is then sent to the referring clinician.

Some investigations are listed on the request form, but often the diagnosis dictates which tests will be needed on a particular patient. However, if the referring clinician requires a less common test for a specific patient, then there is sufficient space on the request form to do so.

An hour is considered to be the maximum tolerable testing time for a patient, beyond this fatigue and loss of concentration reduce the accuracy of the tests. With this in mind if additional lengthy procedures are requested a second follow up appointment may well be necessary.