Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Department and Chest Clinic

How we can help you

We diagnose and support people with respiratory and sleep problems.

Respiratory and Sleep Consultants or doctors in training who assess, treat and help you to manage your respiratory and/or sleep problems.

A team of nurses who specialise in tuberculosis education and screening. 

Lung function laboratory staff, hospital scientists that perform lung function tests and other diagnostic tests.

Sleep technicians book and supervise sleep studies, provide education sessions on operating your breathing machine, download data, perform mask fittings and can help you if you have problems with your machine.

Health education officer offers counselling for smoking cessation, asthma education and also manages our clinical research trials.

Administration staff will help you make appointments, inform you about what will happen at the Respiratory and Sleep Department and help to answer any questions you may have about your appointment.

We work in partnership with your local family doctor (GP) and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs.

Clinic

Attending Specialist

Description of Clinic

Respiratory and sleep clinic

Monday 12.15pm

Dr Elizabeth Brown, Respiratory and sleep physician

Special interests in cystic fibrosis and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) research including recruitment for a multicentre trial of mandibular advancement splint and other trials of novel treatments for OSA.

Respiratory and sleep disorders clinic

Tuesday 9.00am

Dr Chaminda Lewis, Respiratory and sleep physician

Clinic includes both general respiratory and sleep with a special focus on non-invasive ventilation (NIV), spinal cord injury and neuromuscular diseases.

Special interests in interstitial lung disease (ILD), pleural disease, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), sleep medicine, NIV in complex patients with spinal injuries and neuromuscular disorders.

Tuberculosis clinic (Chest)

Wednesday 9.00am

Dr Con Zois

Services include diagnosing and managing active TB, screening for latent TB infection (LTBI) among health care workers, those exposed to TB, migrants and the immune suppressed and treating LTBI, organising radiology surveillance as well as  BCG vaccination service. 

A referral is needed from the nurse’s clinic.

Respiratory and sleep clinic

Thursday 8.30am

Dr Emily Kemp

Professor Thomas has a particular interest in sarcoidosis. He also sees patients with other immunological diseases of the lung, severe asthma, COPD and lung cancer.  He is also an international expert on diving medicine.

Respiratory and sleep clinic

Thursday 1.00pm

Dr Nicholas Murray, Respiratory and sleep Physician, Head of Department

General respiratory and sleep medicine, interventional pneumonology including endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), interstitial lung disease, neuromuscular disease, cystic fibrosis and diving medicine.

Respiratory and sleep clinic

Friday 9.00am

Dr Paul Lilburn, Interventional Pulmonologist Clinic includes both general respiratory and sleep medicine patients, however with a specific interest in patients requiring specialist bronchoscopic interventions for advanced lung diseases or lung cancer. 
Lung function laboratory

Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm

Lung function laboratory staff

Offers a range of lung function and exercise tests for both inpatients and outpatients. This includes; skin allergy testing, investigation for home oxygen, fitness to fly tests and saline challenge tests used for diagnosing asthma and suitability for scuba diving.

Nurses clinic

Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8.30am

Nurses

Our nurses clinic provides TB screening (TST/Mantoux), including screening for immigration, TB education and BCG vaccinations.

Sleep laboratory

Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm, plus overnight stays

Sleep laboratory staff
  • Offers both daytime and overnight sleep studies which require a referral. 
  • Help with mask fittings
  • Conducts machine downloads for compliance
  • Help if you are having problems with your machine and/or mask.

 

Bronchoscopy service

Tuesday, Thursday &  Friday 8.30am

Respiratory staff specialists Performs bronchoscopy, EBUS, pleural tap for both inpatients and outpatients. Requires referral from a respiratory Specialist.
Smoking cessation
Asthma education

Monday - Thursday 9.00am -5.00pm

  Provides individual counselling service to help patients and staff to quit smoking.  Offers outpatient asthma education.  

To attend one of our clinics you will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) explaining your medical history, relevant test results, X-ray results and what medicines you are currently taking. Your GP can refer you directly for a home sleep study by providing a STOP BANG and Epworth Sleepiness Score in your referral.

Ask your GP to complete this referral electronically via Healthlink. See this webpage for further information around electronic referrals.  

Once we have received your referral, we will send you and your GP a letter with appointment details. If we cannot make an appointment for you, we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the outpatient waiting list for the next available appointment.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment or no longer require an appointment, please contact 02 9382 4631 or 02 9382 4643.                                                         

  • Our medical clinics and lung function clinics are covered by Medicare.
  • There is no charge for our weekly TB clinic.
  • Tuberculosis screening for health care workers and students carries a fee of $75.00 payable at our cashier’s office.           

Yes, we are always looking for patients who would be happy to participate in clinical trials. These often asses the effectiveness of new medication for asthma and Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To find out more please contact us.

Doctor clinics

You may need to wait up to 9-12 months before you can see a Respiratory Consultant.

It is a busy centre and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours.

Nurses Clinic

The waiting period for the nurse’s clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks.

Lung Function Clinic

The waiting period for the Lung Function clinic is usually between 1 and 3 weeks, but depends on the test you need. If you need a test urgently we usually will organise this to happen within a few days.

It is a busy department and there could be delays when you arrive for your clinic appointment. Most people are seen within one to three hours. We ask that you arrive at your scheduled appointment time to prevent waiting even longer.

You will see a nurse who will measure your weight, height, blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

You may also see a hospital scientist who may perform lung function testing.

  • Your Medicare card
  • Any relevant recent test results
  • You are welcome to bring a support person (a relative, friend or carer) with you.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter before your appointment. You can contact us phoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) National on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak, and then ask the interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and our service.

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will no impact in any way on the services we will provide.