COVID-19 update, April 2023

The team also offers a spirometry for diagnosis of COPD and, like primary care, is undertaking this with limited access to estates within the restrictions of IPC guidelines.

The referral criteria are:

• Smokers or ex-smokers (including cannabis, crack or heroin) over the age of 35 with a minimum 10-pack-year history of smoking 
• Present with symptoms of COPD:
  • Exertional breathlessness
  • Chronic cough
  • Regular sputum production
  • Frequent winter bronchitis
  • Wheeze
• and do not have clinical features of asthma:
  • Significantly variable breathlessness
  • Night-time wakening with breathlessness and/or wheeze
  • Significant diurnal or day-to-day variability of symptoms.

Camden COPD service cares for patients with a diagnosis of COPD confirmed with obstruction on spirometry, and supports other healthcare professionals in the management of COPD.

The service offers the following:

• Home visits for COPD self-management
• Respiratory clinics for patients with deteriorating symptoms not manageable in primary care and spirometry for diagnosis
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Smoking cessation and behaviour change programme for people with confirmed COPD
• Annual review of all people who have home oxygen therapy

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• aged 18+ and registered with Camden GP
• confirmed diagnosis of COPD.

Exclusions

• not suitable for those who require full pulmonary lung function testing for diagnosis or assessment for complex interventions (e.g type 2 respiratory failure or hypercapnia, assessment for lung volume reduction interventions).

How to Refer