We invite patients in on an annual basis for a couple of chronic respiratory conditions:
(1) Asthma
(2) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Asthma is an ongoing disease of the airways characterised by cough, wheeze, shortage of breath or chest tightness. With treatment someone with asthma should be able to carry out activities as comfortably as those who do not have asthma.

Our Asthma specialist Practice Nurses offer an asthma management review annually around the birthday month. There is no specific day for this, which allows patients to make their appointment for a time they find convenient.

Asthma reviews usually take around 20 minutes, so please remember to tell the receptionist the type of appointment you wish to book when you phone to make your appointment.

It would help the practice conduct a more thorough and efficient review if you complete this online asthma review form 1 - 2 weeks before your appointment.

Please note if you have a combination of asthma AND one or more of: COPD, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease or diabetes; you should fill this form in instead.

This appointment affords an opportunity for both nurse and patient to discuss the patient’s personal asthma situation and treatment plan.

At the review the Practice Nurse will check your symptoms, peak flow reading, inhaler requirements, and your technique in taking your inhaled drugs (so do remember to bring along all the inhalers and spacers you currently use to your appointment!). You may also wish to discuss any asthma-related concerns you have at this time.

In addition, the Practice Nurses positively encourage patients to arrange an appointment should they have any concerns about their asthma at other times of the year, and after any emergency hospital visits. We hope however that these will be very few.

With asthma under control, the ideal is for it to fit in with your life and not your life to fit around your asthma.

For an informative source all about asthma, you can check out the following websites:

NHS Inform

Asthma UK

In Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease (COPD) the airways are damaged, usually through being exposed to constant irritation. Irritation can be caused by dust encountered in some occupations, where there is poor air quality such as smog, or with chronic asthma. However the most common reason for airways being irritated and damaged is through smoking.

COPD is characterised by breathlessness, which is progressive when exposure to the damaging agent continues. The other three common symptoms are cough, wheeze and sputum production. The best way to reduce this rate of progression is to stop smoking. The Practice offers support to achieve this as do the NHS through classes in the local area.

Our Practice’s specialist COPD Nurse offers a COPD management review annually around your birthday month.

Your COPD review will last around 30 minutes, so please remember to tell the receptionist the type of review you wish to book when you phone to make your appointment.

There is no specific day for this, which allows patients to make their appointment for a time they find convenient.

It would help the practice conduct a more thorough and efficient review if you complete this online COPD review form 1 - 2 weeks before your appointment.

Please note if you have a combination of COPD AND one or more of: asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease or diabetes; you should fill this form in instead.

Some treatments are similar to those used for asthma but there are also some specific to COPD. The nurse would wish to hear how effective you feel your treatments are and she will check your inhaler technique, so do bring along all the inhalers and spacers you are currently using to the review.

At the appointment you will be assessed for your level of breathlessness on a scale of 1 to 5, and by placing a painless attachment to your fingertip, an almost instant reading of your oxygen level can be displayed. The nurse will ask you how easily you feel you can carry out everyday activities. Your weight is noted, as both being over or underweight means that breathing can require you to use up a lot of energy, and ideas can be given to help support you in achieving either weight loss or gain. Exercise is also positively encouraged as it helps to improve your breathing and strengthen muscles, which will make everyday activities less tiring.

Through review the Practice Nurse will support you in optimising your quality of life at every stage of the disease.

For further information, you can check out the following websites:

NHS Inform

British Lung Foundation