Lane Fox Respiratory Unit

Programme aims

The programme is very hands on and provides practical sessions in the clinics and wards.

• Join the medical, nursing and physiotherapy teams on the wards to gain a better understanding of the assessment and management of patients with chronic respiratory disease.
• Gain insight into the importance of adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to the management of patients with chronic respiratory failure.
• Review different service models and assess the viability of introducing such models within your own work environment.
• Attend the Lane Fox Unit’s multidisciplinary team meeting for an overview of inpatient progress and on-going management of complex respiratory patients.
• Join the outreach team on visits to long term home mechanical ventilation units.
• Attend home mechanical ventilation outpatient clinics.

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.

Format

The programme is delivered in the work place and participants will receive on to one supervision and direction whilst based in the clinic or day-case environment.  This programme gives the opportunity for participants to be totally integrated with the day to day service within Lane Fox.

Who can apply

This programme is intended for non U.K. doctors with an interest in respiratory medicine. Delegates should have experience working in a hospital environment, although this is not essential. 

All applicants must have GMC registration in order to apply to the Lane Fox Respiratory Programme. You can apply for GMC registration directly through the main GMC website, alternatively The Royal College of Physicians run a medical training initiative which facilitates GMC registration and provides sponsorship for a Tier 5 visa. You can find out more about their Medical Training Initiative by visiting their website. 

Programme duration

We are able to offer visiting professional programmes for overseas doctors for 3, 6 or 12 months periods. Shorter or longer attachments are available if required. As we have a number of visiting doctors at any one time it is important that we have a clear understanding of exactly which areas of respiratory you are most interested in. The respiratory programme is tailored to your specific requirements and if you have an interest in a particular area then simply let us know.

Lane Fox Unit service

The Lane Fox respiratory unit is a national referral centre for chronic (long term) respiratory failure.

The 14 bed unit provides inpatient assessment for people with sleep related breathing disease, particularly from neuromuscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy and motor neurone disease. It is also a “safe haven” for these patients at times of acute respiratory illness, as they often have complex care needs.

It aims to provide expert care in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, to encourage patient independence, maintain family/carer involvement and promote health.

The unit:

• Supports over 700 people at home with a variety of breathing aids
• Has an outreach ventilation weaning service to provide expert advice to intensive care units in the South of England. This service also provides care coordination for the ventilator dependent patients in the community
• Provides 24-hour medical, nursing, therapy and technical support
• Holds weekly clinics for new referrals and to review patients’ progress.

History of the unit

The unit began as a polio centre in the 1960s and remains the principal centre for the UK’s 80,000 polio survivors. Its holistic rehabilitation programme focuses on the numerous problems associated with ‘post-polio syndrome’. Its team of experts include respiratory, orthopaedic, neurology, neurophysiology and pain management consultants.

It has developed services by consulting patients through its very effective Patients’ Association (LFRUPA). This has also funded equipment and contributed to the unit refurbishment.

Partnership with REMEO

The Unit has joined with REMEO Ltd, a subsidiary of Active Care Group, to develop a 20-bedded weaning unit that opened on the East Surrey Hospital site in 2014. This novel public-private partnership will allow clinical care to be delivered to more patients with chronic respiratory failure under the care of our consultant team.

Clinical research

Research underpins our activities and informs our patient, carer and staff educational programmes. 

We have an active research programme lead by Dr Nicholas Hart and Dr Joerg Steier. 

Our research is focused on improving quality of life in patients with chronic respiratory disease and is focused on two areas: 

1. Advanced physiological monitoring and ventilatory strategies in sleep and chronic respiratory failure 

2. Muscle wasting, weakness and rehabilitation. 

We have a PhD research programme with support provided by our clinical trials co-ordinator.

Example Timetable

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email [email protected]

Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.