Respiratory Nurse

[andyuson]

base on my experience as a COPD patient it is better to call up your respiratory nurse than your GP when it comes to copd matter...respiratory nurse can discuss your problem direct to lung specialist....

[Hidden]

I totally agree that COPD is best managed and monitored by those who specialise in it.

[fishtail]

I never call on my GP when I have an exacerbation,"always" "always" call the lung function unit team,they know what to do.

[Hidden in reply to fishtail]

Totally agree with you Fishtail

[dall05]

Yes, There's no doubt that the respiratory nurse is the first contact for me, then the GP.

[asimmd]

I wish I had a respiratory nurse I could call upon.

I have never been offered this facility,and I don't know if there is such a thing

as a Respiratory Nurse where I live.

How would I find out,and what can they do for us?

Alan

[lavender1 in reply to asimmd]

Nor have I Alan the only nurse in my surgery takes spirometry but all general complaints also and doesn't really get involved in any discussion about spirometry at that. I am in Scotland and wonder if there is a serious shortage of trained respiratory staff here. Hope you find some information in your area as the alternative is you really don't know if you are deteriorating and to what extent so as a result I certainly take my medication prescribed but wonder if it would take pneumonia to get to see someone who specialises in the respiratory field.

[Lynne1955]

I think I am lucky as my GP is a lung specialist and has a dedicated respiratory nurse.

Lynne xx

[caroleoctober in reply to Lynne1955]

We are obviously the lucky ones Lynne, my GP is a professor and according to my consultant, my respiratory nurse is the best in the area so he discharged me and I only go to them, 4 miles instead of 15!

Carole xx

[linsabout]

I only have the surgery nurse who does the diabetic clinic and weighs the babies so its no use phoning her. I wish they treated us all the same.

[Hidden in reply to linsabout]

My GP nurse is about the same but I also have the telephone number of the hospital respiratory team nurses and call them when I need specific advice. If they cannot tell me they check with the consultant and ring me back. Good service. x

[Dunroamin]

GP (General Practitioner) will cover a wide range of health issues referring to a specialist as indicated by patient symptoms. It is not a realistic expectation that they will know everything about everything, as the ones charged with keeping an overview of cases that often have co-morbidities they have a vital role to play in healthcare.

[asimmd]

Well I had a CT scan not too long ago and the Consultant showed me the results on the computer.

He was very good,explaining that the COPD part of my illness was very mild,but he was more concerned by my Bronchiectasis,which I have as a result of Whooping Cough when I was 4 years old,which was back in 1951,when antibiotics were not as good as they are now.

I am suffering a severe bout of Bronchitis at the moment,being discharged from Hospital yesterday,Friday.

No medication can help me with this,but they live in hope that the Azithromycin will stop the repeat chest infections I get every winter.

It is just the dire warnings I was given which prompted me to originally ask the question.

It's good to know there are people here who take it with no side affects,yet get such positive benefits from it.

I hope I will be one of them.

Alan

[KingoftheCocktails]

My GP is a respiratory specialist but I still like to call community respiratory nurse as she puts me at ease in my own home and knows what she is talking about.

[SecondLife]

Here in Somerset if you have a lung problem you are referred to the COPD service which is run by BUPA on behalf of the NHS, you can ring them when you have an exacerbation and they do everything then including ring out of hours doctor etc. etc. which takes the problem away from the carer. Also they provide pulmonary rehab classes, the only downside to these is that once you have completed the course you are supposed to do the exercises at home, yeah right, how many good intentions do we all have. It is a good service and they are able to talk you through your concerns and deal with your GP.

[katieoxo60]

Like some of the above replies my surgery does not have a respiratory nurse only a practice nurse who does annual breathing tests on those with lung conditions if requested by the GP to do so. She is responsible for all other tests ie water test, blood tests, reviews of chronic conditions,blood pressure clinics,injections,diabetes ect ect. so her time is limited just like the GPs. I am now told reviews for chronic conditions have to be done later in the week with a fortnights advance notice if its with a named GP. But my local free council magazine says we have this wonderful new system in the community for respiratory patients in our city so we no longer need to be seen in an hospital environment , my experience is it is still a lottery draw as to what respiratory care is available in your area and you just have to accept what the NHS allows your health authority to fund,ie we have no rehab or physio only private respiratory physio in our city. That's life !!!