Respiratory Service

We’ll be in touch with you within five days of your referral, or sooner if a rapid response is required to avoid a hospital admission.

Our team of Respiratory Nurses and Physiotherapists offer the following:

• A full respiratory assessment in your own home or clinic, including monitoring your oxygen levels, listening to your chest, assessing your breathing and reviewing your medications. If you use an inhaler, we’ll check your inhaler technique
• Six monthly and annual reviews if you have an oxygen prescription
• Advice and education about your condition, including how to recognise any signs and symptoms of deterioration and what to do
• Self-help information, including chest clearance techniques, breathing control to help shortness of breath and lifestyle changes
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation courses to improve your muscle strength and breathing

Cardiac Rehabilitation is part of our Cardiac and Respiratory Specialist Services (CARSS).

CARSS includes:

• Cardiac Rehabilitation (visit the service page)
• Heart Function Service (visit the service page)
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation (visit the service page)
• Respiratory Service

You can be referred to CARSS while you’re in hospital, or if you’re registered with a GP in Berkshire West and over the age of 18.

Depending on your needs, we may refer you to our other CARSS teams if we feel that you would benefit from their support and advice.

If you have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), confirmed by spirometry, and have a Berkshire West GP, your GP or healthcare professional can refer you into our service by completing a referral form and sending it to our Integrated Hub.

Email integratedhub@berkshire.nhs.uk

If you’ve been referred to our service in the past 2 years, you can contact us directly to re-refer yourself.

Referrals to the service are accepted between 8:30am and 4:30pm, Monday to Friday.

Contact us

Call 0118 904 6555 

Select the follow options

• Press 1: Respiratory Service
• Press 2: Cardiac Rehabilitation
• Press 3: Heart Function
• Press 4: Pulmonary Rehabilitation 

“I could not have managed without the nurses coming to see me at home. I was so anxious before they came to see me. Since they have been coming, I am not as nervous about being breathless and I understand my disease a lot more. Thank you so much for your support.”

“My husband is so much happier since you have been to see him. He used to worry me a lot and we spent many times seeing our GP, we even had to go to hospital a few times. It is such a comfort and has made such a difference to us knowing that you are at the end of the phone and I can call you whenever I am worried.”