Ventilation Service
The Lancashire and South Cumbria Long-Term Ventilation Service is a specialist regional service providing support for patients who require long-term ventilatory support. Our service cares for patients with chronic respiratory failure who need assistance with their breathing, whether through non-invasive mask ventilation or more complex invasive ventilation via a tracheostomy. We also provide support for patients who are ventilator-dependent at home and help manage their ongoing care.
We help patients improve their ability to cough and clear secretions from their lungs through our specialist secretion clearance clinic. We offer mechanical insufflation-exsufflation (MIE) devices and other secretion-clearing techniques to help maintain lung health and prevent complications.
Our service is based at Royal Preston Hospital and operates entirely as an outpatient service, with home visits and clinic appointments available.
- Our Aim
The Lancashire and South Cumbria Long-Term Ventilation Service aims to provide high-quality, specialist outpatient care and home support for patients who require long-term ventilatory support. We focus on helping patients maintain optimal lung health through ventilation management and specialist secretion clearance techniques, ensuring they can live as safely and independently as possible in the community and prevent admissions.
- What We Do
Our service supports patients across Lancashire and South Cumbria, providing specialist care in the community. We assess patients to determine whether ventilatory support may help, which may include:
- Non-invasive ventilation (mask ventilation) often used overnight however usage can vary in individual patients and conditions.
- Invasive ventilation via tracheostomy, for patients with complex needs
- Secretion clearance support, using MIE devices and other techniques, offered through our dedicated secretion clearance clinic.
We provide ongoing care and monitoring for patients at home, helping them manage their ventilatory support safely and effectively, while maintaining optimal lung health.
- Who We Care For
We care for patients with a variety of long-term respiratory problems, including:
Neuromuscular conditions:
- Motor Neuron Disease
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Myotonic Dystrophy
- Spinal Cord Injury
Other conditions affecting breathing:
- Central Sleep Apnoea
- Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
- Chest wall deformities
Long-term lung conditions:
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Bronchiectasis
- Cystic Fibrosis
We also support patients with tracheostomies, those needing help with respiratory secretions, and patients who are fully or partially ventilator dependent.
- Our Team
The service is led by a team of consultants, physio consultants and Ventilation clinical specialist nurses. We have a strong multi-disciplinary team and are dedicated to working together to meet every aspect of our patients’ care needs.
- How to Access the Service
You can be referred to the service by your GP or another medical specialist who has assessed your breathing.
- What Happens at Your Appointment
You will be seen by a Professional. With your consent, medical specialists in training may also observe consultations.
Assessments may include:
- Breathing tests
- Chest X-rays
- Blood tests
- Blood gases
- Overnight CO2 monitoring.
- Assessment and training for secretion clearance techniques and MIE device use
You may also be invited to participate in clinical research, which is entirely optional and will not affect your care.
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- Contact Us
For general and specialist advice, emergencies and broken equipment (Monday to Friday 8am- 5pm)
Telephone:01772 522340 (answer machine message)
If you would like to speak to someone please call:01772 523838.
We work Monday-Friday. If the next day is a weekend or bank holiday, please leave a message on our answer machine and we will contact you the next working day.
If there is an urgent situation that requires advice overnight/at a weekend you can call the respiratory high care unit at Royal Preston Hospital on 01772 522589 and they will discuss the issues and attempt to resolve the problem.
