Respiratory Service

Our Respiratory Service treats people with diseases affecting their lungs and breathing.

We treat a variety of conditions including:

• Asthma
• COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• fibrosis of the lungs
• lung cancer
• pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs)

We run outpatient clinics and look after patients in hospital. Outpatient clinics are held at Wellington and Kenepuru Hospitals.

Our Pulmonary Function Laboratory provides breathing testing for people referred by GPs and other specialists, as well as those people being seen in respiratory clinics.

Sleep Medicine

You may also be referred to our service if you have problems sleeping as sleep problems can be caused by breathing issues during sleep. Our doctors work closely with the University of Otago Sleep Laboratory (WellSleep).

The clinic doctor will discuss with you what is wrong, what tests might be needed to find out what is wrong, and what treatments are possible. A letter about all this will be sent to your GP.

Sometimes, it may be clear from your family doctor or other hospital referral that a certain test or procedure is going to be needed. In this case we may simply ask you to come in for that test instead attending a clinic appointment.

If you have any change in your condition before you come to your appointment, please see your GP immediately.

Do I need to do anything to prepare for my appointment?

You may be sent a questionnaire before your clinic visit to help us decide urgency or to decide if any tests need to be done before you come to the appointment.

Do I need to bring appointment?

When you come to your appointment, please bring:

• any letters or reports from your doctor or another hospital
• any X-rays, CT (computer tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) films and reports that you have at home.
• all medicines you are currently taking, including herbal and natural remedies; or a written list of all of these.

Your GP will refer you to one of our clinics if they are concerned about your lungs or breathing.

During your treatment, you may meet:

• respiratory physicians (doctors who specialise in treating conditions of the lungs)
• specially trained nurses
• respiratory physiologists
• registrars (doctors training to be specialists)

We’re based in the Clinical Measurement Unit on level 2 of Wellington Regional Hospital.

Lung cancer