A-Z of Services

Respiratory Team

  • The Croydon Respiratory Team (CRT) aims to improve outcomes for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients in Croydon. It consists of a multi-disciplinary team of nurses, physiotherapists, health care assistants, administrators and Doctors working in a variety of ways to achieve this aim. CRT is also able to provide home visits for patients who are housebound.

  • Base: The main service is at Croydon University Hospital and there are Croydon Respiratory Team services at other Trust sites.
  • Address: Croydon University Hospital 530 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE
  • Reception phone number: 020 8401 3963

COPD Admission avoidance

CRT help patients with COPD avoid admissions / readmission in a variety of ways:

Before admission

Patients at risk of admission to hospital due to their COPD can be referred to CRT for rapid review and to attempt admission prevention (via generic referral form emailed to ch-tr.crt@nhs.net). Patients will be triaged over the telephone and arranged a home visit (if suitable) with a CRT clinician ASAP (often the same day.)  Patients are followed up to ensure advice / treatment has been effective.

During and after admission

During admission, CRT:

  • Reviews patients identified in ED (9am – 5pm, Mon – Sat) in order to try to prevent admission. Rapid CRT follow up in the community can be organised to ensure patient is managing well.
  • Reviews ALL patients admitted with COPD and completes a COPD discharge bundle (optimising disease management)
  • Contacts all patients discharged after an admission with COPD within 72 hours
  • Provides face-to-face follow up for all patients discharged after an admission with COPD (unless there is a significant risk identified.) This may be with a clinician or support worker and may be in clinic or at home depending on the patient’s clinical need and risk profile.

 

Pulmonary rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a twelve session programme of individualised exercises and education. It is designed to help people with limiting symptoms caused by chronic lung disease to manage their condition better.

Benefits include reduced breathless on daily activities, increased walking distance, increased control of symptoms and reduction in hospital admissions. The exercises are tailored to individual ability levels and increase muscle strength and fitness levels over the duration of the course

The weekly education talks help patients improve knowledge of their condition and how to help themselves.

The service is run by a team of specialist respiratory physiotherapists. At the end of the six weeks, graduates are helped to plan exercise in their daily life long term and are provided with a Home Exercise Programme.

The pulmonary rehabilitation programme is provided in a variety of community locations around the borough.

Locations

Our service is based at: Broad Green Centre, 1-13 Lodge Road, Croydon, CR0 2PD. Office hours 8.30pm - 5pm.

We carry out our assessments and classes at:

  • South Norwood Leisure Centre, 164 Portland Road, South Norwood SE25 4PT
  • Purely Christ Church Hall - Purley Christ Church Hall, 861 Brighton Road, CR8 2BN
  • New Addington Baptist Church - 39 Arnhem Drive, New Addington, Croydon, CR0 0EE
  • Croydon University Hospital - 730 London Road, Croydon, CR7 7YE

CRT Generic Referral up to date.

Contacts

Croydon Pulmonary Rehabilitation Service
Broad Green Centre
1-13 Lodge Road
Croydon Health Services CR0 2PD
Tel: 020 8401 3974 option 2
Email: ch-tr.croydonpr@nhs.net

 

Structured Education Programmes for patients

We run group education courses for patients diagnosed with asthma and COPD who are registered with a Croydon GP. 

These programmes are for anyone with a confirmed diagnosis of asthma or COPD and will help you to better understand your condition.  We will cover how your airways are affected, how to manage your condition, how to recognise worsening symptoms and what to do to avoid exacerbations and keep yourself well.

The courses are run by a respiratory clinician and an educator.

A course consists of 2 sessions, which last 3 hours and are held one week apart.   These can be in person or online via Microsoft Teams.

Patients can be referred by their GP.
 

Locations

The sessions will be held at various locations within Croydon so if you are attending in person, you won’t have to travel too far.

 

How to refer

Please use the CRT referral form and send to ch-tr.crteducation@nhs.net

 

Contacts

Structured Education Service

Croydon Respiratory Team

Croydon University Hospital

530 London Road

Croydon

CR7 7YE

Tel: 020 8401 3974 Option 2, option 2

Email: ch-tr.crteducation@nhs.net

Asthma nurse led clinics

  • CRT reviews all adult patients (over 18) admitted with an exacerbation of asthma, completing an asthma discharge bundle to optimise disease management
  • ALL patients discharged after an admission for asthma are offered a follow up clinic with an asthma nurse specialist within approximately a month of discharge (mainly video follow-ups, some face-to-face appointments available)
  • Patients at high risk of admission (2 or more ED attendances in the previous 12 months / more than 2 courses of systemic corticosteroids in the previous 12 months, or requiring management using BTS treatment steps 4 or 5 to achieve control, i.e patients on high ICS dose +/- Leukotriene receptor antagonist, Theophylline, LAMA or maintenance Prednisolone) will also be are offered a follow up clinic with an asthma nurse specialist.
  • Patients can be referred via ERS for an asthma nurse review (please consider patients who are at high risk of admission as above)

Home oxygen service and review

The CRT reviews all adults in Croydon with a prescription for oxygen (HOOF) regardless of diagnosis (excluding palliative patients).

All adults who have recurrent resting oxygen saturations of below 92% in stable state should be assessed for their oxygen requirements (excluding palliative patients).  Assessments and reviews for long term oxygen therapy and ambulatory oxygen are carried out

GPs can prescribe static oxygen for palliative patients without the need for a formal oxygen assessment using a HOOF A form available on the internet at: https://www.airliquidehomehealth.co.uk/hcp/

How to refer

A generic CRT referral form should be completed, with a brief summary and emailed to ch-tr.crt@nhs.net. The GP will be informed of the outcome.

NB Oxygen is prescribed for hypoxaemia, not breathlessness.

Contact information

Croydon Respiratory Team
Croydon University Hospital
530 London Road
Croydon
CR7 7YE
Tel: 020 8401 3963

Community nurse-led clinics

A number of community respiratory practitioner-led respiratory clinics are available each month. These are run to review patients post discharge from hospital and those patients whose COPD management requires optimising. We are able to review and provide specialist advice to GPs regarding complex patients.

Clinics are available at Croydon University Hospital, Parkway Clinic and Purley War Memorial Hospital.

How to refer

Email referrals to ch-tr.crt@nhs.net

Patients are offered the next available slot (usually within a month).

Contact information

Croydon Respiratory Team
Croydon University Hospital
530 London Road
Croydon
CR7 7YE
Tel: 020 8401 3963
Email: ch-tr.crt@nhs.net

Clinicians

Dr Ajikumar Kavidasan
Consultant Chest Physician

Dr Sajid Chaudhry
Consultant Respiratory and Acute Medicine

Dr Yogini Raste
Consultant Physician

Dr Elena Karnovitch
Consultant in Respiratory and General Medicine

Dr Roshan Siva
Consultant Physician