Chris, a patient in Calderdale takes us along to his spirometry appointment at his local Spirometry Assessment Hub located at Bankfield Surgery in Elland.
Chris first went to his GP Practice because he was concerned about breathlessness and a persistent cough. After talking through his symptoms with a GP, Chris was referred to his local Spirometry Assessment Hub for a spirometry test.
During this initial appointment, Chris was prescribed an inhaler and a spacer and told that he would need to take this with him to his spirometry appointment.
Spirometry is a simple test used to help diagnose and monitor certain lung conditions by measuring how much air a person can breathe out in one forced breath.
In the video Chris explains that at first he was confused as to why he was sent to a different GP practice for his appointment, because it wasn’t the one he is registered with. However it was explained that spirometry tests are carried out at different hubs within Calderdale – ultimately saving people from having to attend hospital for the test.
Pennine GP Alliance have been running the Spirometry Assessment Hubs for registered patients across Calderdale since July 2023 and therefore initiated the first UK primary care spirometry testing service.
Find out more here.