Thoracic Medicine

The Royal Bournemouth Hospital

The Department of Thoracic Medicine is a self-contained unit providing a wide range of diagnostic services and ongoing management of conditions affecting the lungs including asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, bronchiectasis, tuberculosis, and more unusual conditions.

The unit was refurbished in 2000 through funding from the Bournemouth Charitable Trust which is a charity that supports services for people with lung problems in the local area.

The department is led by four consultant chest physicians who are supported by a team of junior doctors, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, and respiratory physiologists.

Poole Hospital

The Respiratory Department provides a comprehensive service to the local population, including both inpatient and outpatient services for most respiratory conditions. These include:

• lung cancer
• COPD
• asthma
• respiratory infections including pneumonia
• pleural effusion
• pulmonary fibrosis
• sarcoidosis
• pneumothorax
• pulmonary embolism
• bronchiectasis
• obstructive sleep apnoea
• tuberculosis

The department has a well-equipped lung function lab which provides a wide range of tests to help assess breathing disorders and sleep apnoea.

The team provides a rapid access, fast-track service for patients with suspected lung cancer and have full interventional bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound and medical thoracoscopy available.

Patients referred for investigation of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) should be aware that although they may be investigated and receive a diagnosis at Poole Hospital, they will currently require referral to Blandford for treatment with a CPAP breathing machine if recommended.

The main respiratory ward at Poole Hospital is A4 (Arne Ward), although patients may also be located on other wards depending on bed capacity.

Please click here for the Dorset Adult Integrated Respiratory Service (DAIRS) page.