The Mortuary/Bereavement Service’s role is to provide a sensitive and efficient service during what is a difficult time.

As well as undertaking post mortems to establish exact causes of death, the service deals with doctors for the completion of medical certificates and cremation papers, arranges viewings of deceased in our chapel of rest and also regularly deals with the police and coroner.

The service also liaises with funeral directors to release bodies for burial or cremation. For certain religious cultures, this has to be done quickly and we respond sensitively to this need.

We are a small but dedicated team comprising of trained and qualified mortuary technicians and experienced bereavement officers.

Outpatient Antimicrobial Treatment (OPAT)

OPAT is a service that offers IV antibiotic therapy to you as an outpatient instead of admitting you to hospital, thereby avoiding unnecessary, prolonged admission to hospital.
The common conditions where OPAT is used are cellulitis and pyelonephritis but any stable patient needing long period of antibiotics can be taken up by the service at the discretion of the AMU consultant. Examples of these cases can be subdural abscess, diabetic foot, bronchiectasis, osteomyelitis, discitis etc.

HOT clinics

Daily HOT clinics, for hospital outpatient treatments, are run by an AMU consultant and registrars where we see you if you are newly referred by your GP or you have been recently discharged from hospital and need urgent follow up. GPs can refer patients directly to HOT clinic by contacting the AMU secretaries on extension 1783 (Adele Robinson) and 2654 (Victoria Green).

The Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) includes a dedicated GP assessment and triage facility.

The EAU comprises of 36 assessment spaces, 13 of which are in the GP area, three rapid assessment cubicles, two triage rooms and a procedure room. A patient monitoring system can be accessed in every cubicle and they are linked to a central console on the staff base so patients can be monitored at all times.

Blood test and X-ray results can also be accessed at the patient’s beside thanks to wireless laptops. The GP area has an 8-bedded acute assessment bay with a glass observation window for patients who need more intensive assessment or treatment. In one of the bays the curtains have been replaced by partitions to improve patient privacy and dignity, and confidentiality.

The EAU is the first area in the Trust to install a Medi365 electronic drug administration system for staff using finger tip recognition. The clinicians punch in a security code, select the drugs they need and the drugs are dispensed. The machine automatically sends a message to pharmacy detailing the drugs dispensed so they can top up the system.

Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC)

The Ambulatory Emergency Care Unit offers you same day care if you are an ambulatory patients with acute medical conditions. We provide senior led acute medicine assessment and have access to urgent diagnostics, thus avoiding unnecessary inpatient stay. GPs can make a referral by telephoning the AEC nurse. The current admission hours are 8:00 to 19:00, seven days a week. We also receive suitable patients from ED triage room – bypassing ED admission.

Conditions treated in AEC

All ambulatory patients presenting with acute medical conditions can be accepted by AEC. Patients who are critically ill are not reviewed in AEC, but referred to ED. Conditions we commonly manage in AEC are – chest pains with suspected ACS, suspected PE, suspected DVT, suspected infection which can be treated by outpatient antibiotics (oral or IV via OPAT services) , acute headache, deranged LFTs etc.

Visiting times

• 14.00-16.00
• 16.30-20.00

The Respiratory Assessment Unit (RAU) forms part of the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) pathway where, patients who are unwell with acute and chronic respiratory conditions can be treated and discharged home. Our Specialist Nursing team comprises of staff trained in assessment, order/perform diagnostic tests and prescribe treatment. We have daily support of Doctors and Respiratory Consultants and Registrars.

The unit is open Monday to Friday 8am to 8:30pm with the last referral at 5pm.

Inclusion Criteria

• ​Over the age of 16
• ​Known/suspected respiratory condition – COPD, Asthma, Bronchiectasis, Interstitial Lung Disease, Pleural Disease etc • Suitable for an ambulatory pathway
• Haemodynamically stable
• NEWS 4 or below (not including oxygen therapy)

Exclusion criteria

• Haemodynamically instability – NEWS >4 (not including 02 needs)
• Patients under the age of 18
• Infection prevention control will be taken into consideration on an individual basis
• Not suitable for an ambulatory pathway
• Suspected PE – (Suspected PE’s will remain in AEC as per PE pathway)
• Reduced Mobility – (New onset)
• Confused patients

The physiologist team at the Lung Function Unit provide a large variety of diagnostic investigations for patients in Dudley and neighbouring areas. These tests are primarily Respiratory with some upper GI. These can lead to diagnosis and treatment pathways. Pre-Operative assessments and long term monitoring of patients is often also required.

The team work with patients of mainly adult age and strive to create a welcoming and helpful environment for all patients, visitors and staff. The investigations are carried out in purpose built areas in a private and dignified setting. The team are highly trained to offer quality patient care whilst producing a variety of accurate and reproducible results.

Spirometry is the most common test procedure performed. This is carried out in a variety of clinical settings. These include wards, respiratory outpatient clinics and within the lung function unit labs.

Inpatient spirometry tests are conducted Monday to Friday from 9am until 12noon and should only be requested via Sunrise. If your patient requires a clinically urgent spirometry in the afternoon, please contact the department directly to discuss on Ext 3167.

Detailed pulmonary function tests are carried out within the lung function unit labs on specialist equipment. These tests can be requested by Doctors within the Dudley Group of Hospitals.

Referrals can be made by completing the paper Lung Function Request Form, found on the Hub under Documents/Forms by specialty/Respiratory/Lung Function Referral Form.

All forms are processed and vetted daily and should be sent to the Lung Function Unit, Ground Floor, West Wing, Russells Hall Hospital.

All tests and procedures are conducted Monday to Friday, from 8:30am until 4pm.

List of available tests are given below:

Pulmonary Function Tests

• Reversibility (MDI or Nebuliser)
• Full Pulmonary Function Tests (Flow Volume Loops, Lung Volumes by Nitrogen Washout, Single Breath Transfer Factor)
• Whole Body Plethysmography
• Muscle Pressures

Exercise Testing

• 6 minute Walk
• Shuttle Walk
• Bronchial Lability
• Cardio-Respiratory

Other Respiratory Function

• Arterial Blood Gas Sampling
• Mannitol Challenge Testing
• Hypoxic Inhalation Test

Gastro-Intestinal Tests

• 24 Hour ambulatory pH monitoring
• Oesophageal Manometry
• Hydrogen Breath Testing

Sleep Service
The sleep service is located within the lung function unit and involves the diagnosis; treatment and long term follow up of patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome.
This includes overnight oximetry, detailed sleep studies, the setting up of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) treatment as well as yearly follow up and continued support of patients and equipment.

GP’s can refer directly for sleep assessment via the e-referral Lung Function Open Access form. Hospital Doctors can request assessment by means of a paper Lung Function request located on The Hub. Lung Function Request Form. All results are reviewed and reported on by a specialist respiratory/sleep consultant. Patients requiring further investigation / treatment are then seen in a consultant led clinic before being referred to the physiologist team.

Long Term Nebuliser Service

The Lung Function Unit is responsible for the maintenance of Long Term nebulisers issued by DRAS at the request of a Respiratory Consultant to patients within the community.

This involves medical device education to patients or carers as well as yearly exchange of the machine and supply of essential consumables.

A weekly nebuliser maintenance clinics runs within the department. We do not offer home visits.

For more information or advice, contact:

• Physiologists for General Enquires – Tel: 01384 456 111 Ext 3167
• Lead Physiologist Tel: 01384 456 111 Ext 3566 – Harry Patel (harry.patel1@nhs.net)

The Dudley TB Nursing service consists of specialist nurses who care for people with a diagnosis of Tuberculosis. We support the patients throughout their treatment which is 6 months minimum but can be up to 12 months in some cases.

We also screen contacts to cases of TB in our nurse led clinic at Dudley Guest Hospital on Monday and Wednesday.

Our clinic on Wednesday runs alongside the Respiratory Consultant Dr Doherty where patients commence treatment for active or latent disease and we counsel those patients, informing them of side effects to treatment and offer support, which can be weekly home visits.

We administer BCG vaccination to those babies and adults who are eligible.

Our service accepts referral’s from GPS, H/V and other health professionals. We are available to give advice, telephone consultations for anyone worried about TB in a workplace for example, however we visit many settings and are always happy to provide any training.

If a patient is suspected of having TB please contact the TB Nurses as soon as possible on the following numbers;

• Office: 01384 321395
• Monday – Friday (08:30 to 16:30)
• TB Lead CNS – Kal Lohia (kal.lohia@nhs.net)

Providing tobacco cessation advice to inpatients and outpatients to help them with their tobacco dependence. We offer behavioural support and combination nicotine replacement therapy whilst an inpatient and on discharge. We facilitate a referral to a community pharmacy to continue their nicotine replacement therapy on discharge for 12 weeks.

Location

• Respiratory Hub Russell’s Hall Hospital
• Working hours Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

• Current smokers or vapers
• Over the age of 18
• Inpatients or outpatients

• Pregnant
• Under 18 years of age

Referral process

Referrals via sunrise or email and will be reviewed within 48 hours of receiving referral

Our integrated respiratory care service is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals with respiratory conditions, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other related illnesses. Through integrated care, education, and timely interventions, Led by Alison Somers (Integrated Respiratory Practitioner) and Respiratory Consultants Dr Brammer and Dr Chohan, we aim to achieve the following:

1. Reduce Respiratory Urgent Care Admissions and Readmissions
   To focus on proactive care and early intervention to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, ensuring patients receive appropriate care before their conditions escalate.
2. Reduce Avoidable Admissions and Support Individuals at Home
   The goal is to maintain patients in their preferred place of residence, minimising unnecessary hospital admissions while ensuring they receive the necessary care and support at home.
3. Enhance Respiratory Care Education for Health Care Professionals
   To provide targeted training and resources for healthcare professionals, focusing on areas such as inhaler techniques, management of acute exacerbations, and best practices in respiratory care to improve patient outcomes.
4. Facilitate Timely Discharge
   Aim to reduce hospital stays through effective discharge planning, ensuring patients receive appropriate care after leaving the hospital and return to their communities in a timely manner.
5. Integrated Care Across Primary, Community, and Secondary Services
   The service is designed to seamlessly integrate primary, community, and secondary care services, ensuring smooth transitions and comprehensive care coordination. This integration is supported by shared patient records and strong communication channels across all care settings.
6. Provide Advice and Guidance Through E-Referral and Community CPT Support
   Offering expert advice and guidance through electronic referrals and telephone contact with Community Partnership Teams (CPT) to ensure consistent support for healthcare professionals and patients alike.
7. Coordinated Health and Social Care for Older Adults
   For older patients with respiratory conditions and multiple comorbidities, we coordinate care through dedicated care coordinators and practice MDT processes to ensure a holistic approach to both health and social care.

The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust has a dedicated paediatric ward (ward C2) where your child will be cared for. The anaesthetist will meet you on the day of surgery and discuss the planned anaesthetic with you and your child.

Information for parents and guardians can be found here.

Below are some resources that cover children of all ages:

• Preschool/Early Years children: Rees Bear has an anaesthetic
• Older primary school aged children: Davy the Detective: finding out about anaesthetics
• Teenagers and young adults: General anaesthesia: A brief guide for young people and You and your anaesthetic: a young person’s guide
• More information and videos can be found here

Visiting in advance of admission

If you would like to show your child the hospital and what to expect when walking around inside, please visit the Hospital Virtual Tour.

It is also possible to visit and have a tour on a 1:1 basis. At present, this can only be offered 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday. Please contact the ward on (01384) 244271 and ask to speak to the play specialists to arrange.

Children’s Anaesthetic Preassessment Medical Health Questionnaire

If you have not already completed this health questionnaire on behalf of your child, please download it from here.

Advice on pain management

Pain management in hospital: Pain relief for children V1 (Version for parents and carers) and Pain relief for young people V1 (Version for young people)

Pain management at home: Pain management after surgery (Children’s Surgery) V1