The Southern DHB (SDHB) Respiratory Specialist Service is a district wide service primarily delivered from Dunedin and Southland hospitals. Acute and inpatient respiratory services are provided by the respiratory teams at Dunedin Hospital, whereas patients with acute respiratory conditions admitted elsewhere within the Southern region are managed by General Medicine services.
The service provides a broad range of diagnostic and interventional procedures. Diagnostic testing is undertaken by the respiratory and sleep laboratories at Dunedin and Southland hospitals. The department also manages a domiciliary oxygen service under specifications set by the Ministry of Health.
Outpatient clinics are delivered at Dunedin, Southland, Lakes/Queenstown and Dunstan hospitals.
What is Respiratory Medicine?
See https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/ for information on respiratory conditions and treatments.
The Respiratory Department
Respiratory services provided by the Dunedin Hospital department consist of outpatient clinics, a day stay unit and inpatient (ward) care. At Southland Hospital Respiratory Services support the acute inpatient service and run outpatient clinics. Outlying hospitals including Ōamaru, Balclutha, Dunstan, Gore and Lakes/Queenstown are supported by the service, including the regional oxygen service and sleep service.
The department is staffed by respiratory physicians (doctors who specialise in treating conditions of the lungs), specially trained nurses, physiologists, physiotherapists, and registrars (doctors training to be specialists). There are Pulmonary Rehabilitation programmes in Dunedin and Invercargill and other similar programmes and initiatives elsewhere in the region are supported.