Enhanced Respiratory Assessment Service

Service description

Enhanced Respiratory Assessment Service for LLR

LPT has launched an Enhanced Respiratory Assessment Service for patients in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who have significant worsening of an existing lung condition, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD),

The aim of the service is to support patients remaining safely within their own home, and avoiding a hospital admission.

The service works with patients who have a sustained worsening of symptoms beyond their usual day-to-day variations and need specialist support to stay at home (they have experienced an “exacerbation” of their symptoms).

The ERAS service is for any patient in the community experiencing an exacerbation of COPD who the assessing clinician feels does not meet the threshold for hospital admission, but who would benefit from closer clinical monitoring by a respiratory specialist, with an aim to avoid an unnecessary hospital admission.

This service is provided in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and will also provide supported discharge for patients admitted to hospital with ECOPD to reduce risk of readmission.

Referral criteria

Referral criteria

• The patient’s main diagnosis is an exacerbation of COPD (ECOPD) and they need specialist respiratory clinical support to stay at home;
• They have a confirmed diagnosis of COPD;
• The patient is able to cope at home and is well supported; and
• Any other health conditions are stable.

Exclusion criteria

The service cannot care for patients who are:

• Unable to cope at home.
• Have other serious conditions including
  • acute congestive heart failure/ Left Ventricular Failure
  • pneumonia
  • new and undiagnosed chest/cardiac condition
• confused, or agitated;
• Main diagnosis is not COPD – for example bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease, asthma, lung cancer.