Referrals can be made five days a week, however the face-to-face clinic slots for physical review are only available on a Tuesday and Thursday PM only in RIE. The consultation will be either by an ANP or Respiratory Clinical Fellow.
Please note, referral to the Hot clinic will not guarantee review; if appropriate advice may be given or an alternative treatment pathway may be recommended.
D.R.M & N.A/D.E 04-04-24
Who can refer:
– Primary care (GP or ANP)
– Community Respiratory Teams throughout NHSL
– LUCS GP or ANP
Who to refer:
Patients with a pre-existing respiratory condition who are at risk of hospital admission, requiring urgent review within 24-48 hours and are safe to wait for assessment. This can include COPD, Asthma, ILD, Pneumonia etc or patients with acute exacerbations requiring urgent follow up.
Please note that a timeframe will be given by the ANP at the time of referral.
Who not to refer:
– Hypoxic patients (Saturation of <92% on room air unless known COPD patients with baseline saturations between 88-92% on room air)
– Acutely unwell or septic patients
– PE/Pleural effusion/ Suspicion of Lung ca (there are separate pathways for these conditions)
– Home ventilation patients
– Patients with severe co-morbidities contributing to their clinical deterioration
– Acute confusion
– Uncertain diagnosis
– Patients requiring routine follow-up
– Patients with Complex Respiratory conditions that could wait for urgent OPD appointment
– Patients requiring post exacerbation CXR and/ or bloods unless strong clinical suspicion of
persistent infection
How to refer:
Phone : 07970158283 (Monday-Friday 0800 -1700)
Email: RNSRIE@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk (Subject: HOT Clinic)
For COPD exacerbation consider CRT referral Edinburgh Community Respiratory Team
For added clinical advice, there is a Respiratory SpR on call at RIE site and can be accessed via Hospital Switchboard on 01312421000.
Managed Clinical Network (MCN) can be accessed via the NHSL intranet page NHS Lothian Respiratory Service http://intranet.lothian.scot.nhs.uk/Directory/respiratory/Pages/Respiratory%20MCN.aspx
