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Counties Manukau Health Respiratory

Public Service, Respiratory

Description

What is Respiratory Medicine?
 
Respiratory Medicine is the branch of medicine that treats people with diseases affecting the lungs and breathing tubes. Respiratory Medicine has 20 beds on Ward 32, including the 5-bed Respiratory Close Observation Unit (RCOU). 
 
The role of our lungs is to deliver oxygen into our bloodstream and remove carbon dioxide.  When you breathe in, air passes through the throat into the windpipe (trachea). The base of the windpipe divides into the right and left tubes (bronchi) which divide again and again each time getting smaller and smaller until the alveoli (air sacs) are reached. The alveoli act like balloons i.e. when you breathe in they inflate and when you breathe out they relax.
 
Oxygen moves across the walls of the alveoli and enters the bloodstream and is carried to the rest of the body after passing through the heart. Carbon dioxide is passed from the blood into the alveoli and is breathed out of the lungs.
 
Common symptoms of lung disease include: shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness, cough (dry or productive of mucus), coughing up blood, and chest pain.
 
The staff are:
  • Respiratory Physicians (doctors who specialise in treating conditions of the lungs)
  • Clinical Nurse Specialists
  • Respiratory and Sleep Physiologist
  • Physiotherapists
  • Registrars (doctors training to be specialists)
  • Community Health Workers
  • Lung Cancer Coordinators
  • Lung Function Team

Consultants

Note: Please note below that some people are not available at all locations.

Referral Expectations

Inpatient Care (Ward 32) Middlemore Hospital
Respiratory physicians are available on site from Monday to Friday during office hours. After hours and at weekends a respiratory physician is available on call.
 

Your GP will refer you to one of our clinics if they are concerned about your lungs or breathing and want a specialist opinion. The referral is prioritised depending on urgency, with waiting times of 2 weeks to 6 months.

You may be sent a questionnaire before your clinic visit to help us make a diagnosis and decide if any tests need to be done before you see a specialist.

Recommendations and options regarding your diagnosis and treatment plan will be discussed with you and a letter will be sent to your GP.

You need to bring to your appointment:

  • any letters or reports from your doctor or another hospital 
  • any X-rays, CT (computer tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) films and reports
  • all medicines you are currently taking, including herbal and natural remedies
  • your pharmaceutical entitlement card

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

Outpatient clinics are held at:
• Manukau SuperClinic™ Module 7
• Botany SuperClinic™

Charges

There are no charges for services to public patients if you are lawfully in New Zealand and meet one of the Eligibility Directions specified criteria set by the Ministry of Health.  If you do not meet the criteria, you will be required to pay for the full costs of any medical treatment you receive during your stay.

To check whether you meet the specified eligibility criteria, visit the Ministry of Health website 

For any applicable charges, please phone the Accounts Receivable Office on (09) 276 0060.

Common Conditions / Procedures / Treatments

  • Asthma

    Asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest and trouble breathing.… More

  • Blood Gas Tests

    This is similar to a blood test but instead of a needle going into a vein it is inserted briefly into a small artery in your wrist.  A small amount of blood is taken and sent to the laboratory to test for the amount of oxygen your blood is carrying.… More

  • Bronchoscopy

    During this test a thin fibreoptic tube is inserted into your breathing tubes, through the mouth or nose, to view the tubes.… More

  • Chest X-ray

    A chest X-ray is normally undertaken to check the chest wall, lungs and heart.… More

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

    This term is used to describe lung disease where the breathing tubes become scarred and the surrounding tissue and air sacs inside the lungs become damaged.… More PDF

  • Computer Tomography (CT) Scan

    With CT you can see much more detail than with a normal X-ray.… More

  • Fine Needle Aspirate

    Depending on what is seen on the CT scan an additional test can be done where a fine needle is inserted into your chest into the cancer and some cells sucked up into the needle.  This is done while taking pictures with the CT scanner to guide the doctor as… More

  • Home Oxygen Therapy

    Why do we need oxygen?
    Oxygen is essential for life.… More

  • Lung Cancer

    This is when cells divide and grow in an uncontrolled fashion in the lung tissue.… More

  • Lung Function Tests

    You may be advised to take lung function tests to find out how much air moves in and out as you breathe.… More

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

    What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA)?
    If the muscles at the back of the throat relax too much the airway becomes completely blocked and breathing stops.… More PDF

  • Peak Flow Meter

    This is a small hand-held tube that can measure the flow of air coming from your breathing tubes.  You can have one at home and measure your peak flow by blowing into it as hard and fast as possible.  You will be shown how to use it.… More

  • Spirometers

    Spirometry is a test which measures the speed at which your lungs can be filled and emptied of air.  It can be used to diagnose problems of breathing and monitor the usefulness of treatment.… More

  • Home Insulation Programmes

    Would you like your home insulated for FREE?
    If you would like a warmer, drier home for your family, please click here for more information about the Snug Homes or Warm Up Counties Manukau home insulation programmes. More

Visiting Hours

Visiting times are between 2pm and 8pm. Visitors are restricted to two at a time.
Children are welcome, but must be supervised by an adult.

Website

www.countiesmanukau.health.nz

Contact Details

Middlemore Hospital

South Auckland

More details…

Botany SuperClinic™

East Auckland

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Manukau SuperClinic™

South Auckland

More details…

This page was last updated at 11:48AM on April 1, 2021. This information is reviewed and edited by Counties Manukau Health Respiratory.