Respiratory medicine in Bedford

Respiratory problems are often quite frightening to experience. Whether you’re frustrated by a long-term cough, worried about increased breathlessness or wheezing, or exhausted because of snoring and other breathing difficulties at night, you will appreciate assessment and treatment from an experienced consultant to get you back to better health.

Your symptoms may be new, and you’d like to know what is causing them and how best to treat them. Alternatively, you may have an existing respiratory condition that has flared up and is no longer being effectively managed with your current treatment.

Whatever your symptoms and concerns, at The Manor Hospital you will receive consultant-led care to improve your symptoms and get you back to better respiratory health as soon as possible.

Respiratory medicine is a specialist field of medicine that investigates, diagnoses and manages diseases and disorders of the airways and substance of the lung (known as lung parenchyma), which include air sacs (alveoli) and the vessels.

It also involves the investigation and treatment of diseases of the lining (pleura) of the lung and chest wall, and those affecting some mediastinal structures (meaning those in the centre of the chest), such as lymph nodes.

A doctor who specialises in this field is a Consultant Respiratory Physician.

People usually visit the Respiratory Physicians at The Manor Hospital because they have symptoms that are causing them concern. These may include:

• Breathlessness
• Persistent coughing
• Coughing up blood or sputum
• Chest pain
• Wheezing
• Snoring/sleep disturbances

Our highly experienced Respiratory Physicians provide private treatment for people in Bedford itself and from other parts of Bedfordshire. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, it can be sensible to consult a doctor for advice. Why not book an appointment with them? They would be delighted to help you.

Our Respiratory Physicians manage a wide range of diseases and conditions. The causes of respiratory problems can be categorised as:

• Allergies
• Vascular
• Autoimmune / Inflammatory
• Infective
• Cancer
• Idiopathic (unknown cause)

Respiratory conditions that fall within these six categories include:

• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
• Interstitial lung diseases such as Pulmonary Fibrosis (scar tissue in the lungs)
• Lung cancer
• Bronchitis (inflammation of the airways - bronchi - in the lungs)
• Tuberculosis
• Bronchiectasis
• Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels)
• Sarcoidosis (an inflammatory condition that may cause shortness of breath and/or a persistent cough)
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
• Long COVID

Fortunately, a wide range of treatments are available, including inhalers and medicines (antibiotics, steroids, immune modulators or other). Many of these can be very effective at relieving and managing respiratory symptoms.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ treatment for respiratory complaints, and treatment always needs to be tailored to your specific condition, symptoms and needs. Regular monitoring of symptoms allows easy adjustment of treatment where required to ensure you continue to receive symptom relief

When you first meet your Respiratory Physician at the hospital, they will take a medical history and talk with you in detail about the symptoms you’ve been experiencing. They will normally carry out a physical examination of your chest and any other relevant systems.

There are a number of tests that can be extremely helpful in diagnosing respiratory conditions. Initial tests that will often be carried out include:

• Spirometry - blowing into a special tube to measure airflow and lung capacity.
• Serial Peak Flow measurements - these can also be done at home with a peak flow meter
• Chest X-ray
• Blood tests
• Analysis of available tests that may have been done previously.

Depending on what these tests show, you may be referred for further diagnostic tests such as:

• Computed Tomography (CT) of the chest – provides cross-sectional images through the chest
• Bronchoscopy - a telescopic view of the airways, allows capture of samples (biopsies) for analysis
• EBUS TBNA – A Bronchoscopic procedure during which sampling of lymph nodes in the centre of the chest can be done
• Ultrasound (U/S) of the chest +/- guided drainage of fluid between the lung and chest wall
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

While some of these can be carried at The Manor Hospital, others will be arranged off-site. Similarly, Sleep Studies, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans and other investigations can all be requested outside the hospital if required.   

Once a diagnosis has been made, your Respiratory Physician will tailor a treatment plan. They will discuss this with you and answer any questions or concerns you may have.

When you visit The Manor Hospital for help with their respiratory health, you will benefit from:

• Fast assessment – Respiratory problems can be concerning, and you’ll appreciate being seen as soon as possible. Indeed, many conditions respond best when they are diagnosed at the earliest possible stage. We can arrange a Respiratory appointment for you without delay, so that can get a diagnosis and start the best course of treatment sooner.
• Experience to depend on - Respiratory Physicians have accredited training and experience in General Medicine. They are often able to manage other medical problems and can recognise and direct your care to another specialist where appropriate.
• Personalised care – The best treatment for your condition will be one that is tailored to your specific needs in order to successfully manage and treat your condition. Your Respiratory Physician will monitor how well you are responding to any treatment at regular stages, and adjustments can be made if needed. If symptoms flare-up at any point, it is always very easy to contact us for advice.
• Appointments to suit your schedule – We know that life can often be very busy. We that offer flexible appointment times so that you can schedule your visit at a time convenient for you. We treat private insurance and self-pay patients. While a medical referral is helpful, you can self-refer if you’d prefer, to avoid delay.
• Remote consultations – While Respiratory consultations are usually carried out at The Manor Hospital, we can also provide remote consultations by telephone or video call if required (and where clinically appropriate).
• Patient Satisfaction – In an independent survey, 99.1% of patients said they were likely or highly likely to recommend us to their family and friends. While we are extremely grateful for this feedback, we don’t take it for granted and continue to focus on providing the highest level of care to everyone who visits us for help.
• On-site parking – We’re very easy to get to and have a car park with 47 spaces, so you won’t need to worry about where to park when you visit us.

Effective treatments are available for a wide range of respiratory conditions and our experienced Consultant Respiratory Physicians would be delighted to help you.

We look forward to welcoming you to The Manor Hospital soon and helping to improve your respiratory health.

Book an appointment online today.