Hospital plans new children's respiratory service

A medical centre is planning to expand its services to improve care for children and young people living with respiratory conditions.

Cannock Chase Hospital, in Staffordshire, aims to launch a dedicated spirometry (breathing test) service for those aged between five and 15.

The new facility was expected to support diagnosis and ongoing monitoring of asthma and other respiratory conditions.

The centre currently provides lung tests, breathing tests, sleep studies and breathlessness assessments, for patients aged 16 and over.

It has played a key role in bringing services closer to patients' homes.

Lead clinical scientist Andrew Pritchard said moving the majority of routine respiratory diagnostics to the community centre had improved waiting times as well as access to testing, diagnosis and treatment.

"Access to spirometry for children is particularly limited within the local community, and we're looking forward to delivering this pathway soon," he said.

Thanks to its diagnostic capacity, the centre also supports patients from neighbouring areas including Sandwell and Walsall.

"We've got the capability to deliver routine diagnostic testing quickly, helping to reduce delays and speed up diagnosis and treatment for patients," Pritchard added.

The service offers a weekly clinic for unexplained breathlessness and was one of the first in the UK to adopt this technique.

Patients who have been breathless for eight or more weeks are referred for testing.

Examinations can be completed within one day and sent back to the referrer with a diagnosis and a plan.

The centre was also expecting new equipment - including advanced lung function testing machines, additional diagnostic tools and new spirometers – to further enhance its service.

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