Chest Unit and Lung Function
What we do
We offer a wide range of routine and more complex diagnostic tests for adults and children with breathing conditions. We also offer a sleep diagnostic and treatment service for sleep disorders including sleep apnoea and hypoventilation.
Our range of tests and treatments include:
- spirometry
- skin allergy
- single breath diffusing capacity (gas transfer)
- lung volume
- bronchoscopy – as a day case
- pleural intervention – as a day case
- bronchial challenge testing
- cough monitoring
- blood gas measurement
- fitness to fly assessment
- oxygen assessment
- overnight oximetry (sleep studies)
- WatchPat sleep studies
- continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP)
- non-invasive ventilation (NIV)
- hyperventilation screening
- respiratory muscle assessment
The department also offers a Community Spirometry Service for Lambeth and Southwark GPs.
Preparing for your appointment
Before a routine lung function or spirometry test, if you:
- regularly use a bronchodilator (for example, salbutamol), do not use it for four hours
- use a long-acting bronchodilator (for example, serevent), do not use it for 12 hours
- use Spiriva, do not take it for 24 hours.
But if you must use your inhaler during these periods, please make a note of the time you use it and let us know when you come to your appointment.
Before your test:
- do not smoke for 24 hours
- do not drink alcohol for at least four hours
- do not exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes
- do not eat a substantial meal for at least two hours
- wear comfortable clothing which does not restrict your chest and abdomen from expanding fully.
If you have had any of the following in the six weeks before your appointment, please contact us as we may need to delay your test date:
- chest, abdomen, or eye surgery
- heart attack or unstable angina
- chest, abdominal or cerebral aneurysm
- collapsed lung or coughed up blood.
Check your appointment letter for detailed information about any preparation needed for all other tests.
Please bring with you a list of any medications you are taking.
Before your bronchoscopy:
Please read the patient information leaflet below thoroughly for full details of the procedure. Do not eat or drink for four hours before your test.
If you are diabetic, phone us for advice on 020 3299 4743. You may be asked to reduce or stop taking diabetic tablets and insulin on the day of your test. If you use inhalers for your breathing, use them as normal. Please bring with you a list of any medications you are taking and tell us if you are allergic to any drugs.
Useful resources
The following organisations provide further information about breathing conditions:
Locations
Chest Unit: Second floor, Cheyne Wing, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS (opposite Todd Ward)
Lung Function: Second floor, Cheyne Wing, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS (opposite Davidson Ward)
The Chest Unit and Lung Function Department are open from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Community Spirometry Sites:
- Deerbrook Surgery, 216 Norwood Road, London, SE27 9AW
- Herne Hill Road Medical Practice, 1-3 Herne Hill Road, London, SE240AU
- Tessa Jowell Health Centre, 72H East Dulwich Grove, London, SE22 8EY
- Acorn and Gaumont House Surgery, 153 Peckham High Street, London, SE15 5SL
The Community Spirometry sites operate on different days over the week.
Contact Details
- Main Reception: 020 3299 4743
- Chest Unit Service Manager: 020 3299 3364
- Chest Unit Admin Team: [email protected]
- Lung Function Laboratory Direct Line: 020 3299 4743
If you have a question about your CPAP or BiPAP treatment, please email the Respiratory Physiology Team: [email protected]
Patient information leaflets
| Title | File Size | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Bronchoscopy | 1 MB | |
| Guide to using your DreamStation CPAP machine and humidifier | 537 KB | |
| Lung function tests | 155 KB | |
| Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at home – A40 AVAPs | 590 KB | |
| Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at home – DreamStation ST/AVAPs | 401 KB | |
| Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at home – Nippy 3+ | 898 KB | |
| Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) at home – Nippy 4/Nippy 4+ | 464 KB | |
| Sleep studies | 142 KB |
The Chest Unit and Lung Function Services based at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust only accept internal referrals via the Trust’s Electronic Patient Record.
The community-based spirometry service for Lambeth and Southwark provides quality-assured, diagnostic spirometry when a clinician suspects a possible diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma. The service does not provide reviews or annual spirometry testing, except when the diagnosis is in question or needs to be confirmed.
All spirometry patients will be offered reversibility testing with an inhaled bronchodilator and FeNO as part of this process.
We also provide spirometry testing for children referred by their GP at King’s College Hospital.
What is required before referring a patient
If your patient has experienced any of the following, they should wait for six weeks before having lung function tests:
- chest, abdomen, or eye surgery
- heart attack or unstable angina
- chest, abdominal or cerebral aneurysm
- pneumothorax
Booking a patient for Community Spirometry
This service is directly bookable via e-RS and you can choose a number of community sites. To book, select ‘Diagnostic Physiological Measurement’ as the specialty and ‘Respiratory – Full Lung Function’ as the clinic type.
The service name is ‘Community Lung Function Service – (name of location)’. Please complete and attach the Integrated Respiratory Team referral form below to the eRS referral.
To refer children, email the Diagnostic Community Spirometry form below to [email protected]
Other queries
Please contact the Chest Unit Service Manager on 020 3299 3364.
Referral forms
| Title | File Size | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic Community Spirometry referral form | 1 MB | |
| Integrated Respiratory Team referral form | 145 KB |
Key Clinical Staff
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Mr Robert Crickett | Highly Specialised Respiratory Physiologist |
| Mrs Tracey Fleming | Chest Unit Service Manager/ Senior Chief Respiratory Physiologist |
| Ms Lynne Morgan | Senior Chief Respiratory Physiologist |
| Ms Claire Wood | Principal Respiratory Physiologist |