Physiological Investigations – Respiratory and Sleep diagnostic at Coventry and Warwickshire Community Diagnostic Centres
Across Coventry and Warwickshire, there are three Community Diagnostic centres offering Respiratory and Sleep Physiological measurements and clinics:
- North Warwickshire CDC – George Eliot Hospital site
- Rugby CDC – Rugby St Cross site
- South Warwickshire CDC- Stratford Upon Avon site
Services are delivered by Healthcare Scientists and HCPC-registered Clinical Scientists, ensuring high quality, evidence-based diagnostic investigation and patient-centred care
All three sites individually provide a range of diagnostic testing, clinical interpretation and specialist advice to primary care across Coventry and Warwickshire with aim to provide early and accurate diagnosis and integrated care for patients with respiratory disease
Through a range of diagnostics, including spirometry, lung function testing, FeNO measurement, sleep pathways, and collaborative pathways such as the Breathlessness pathway and Children and Young People (CYP) asthma pathway, we aim to diagnose and manage conditions such as, but not limited to, asthma, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnoea
These services promote equitable access, patient education, and digital innovation, supporting prevention, self-management and more efficient patient-centred care across Coventry and Warwickshire
Services Available for referral:
Respiratory Diagnostics
The Respiratory Diagnostics Service provides a comprehensive, timely, and accurate assessment of lung function to support the diagnosis and ongoing management of respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD, and restrictive lung diseases including interstitial lung disease
The purpose of the service is to provide primary care clinicians with objective diagnostic data, enabling early intervention, tailored management plans, and reduction of unnecessary secondary care referrals
Key components of the service include:
- Spirometry and bronchodilator response testing
- Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) testing
- Full pulmonary function testing – including spirometry, static lung volumes and gas transfer measurements
Patients referred to the service will undergo appropriate diagnostic testing and expert interpretation. Results are communicated to the referring GP or clinician, along with evidence-based recommendations for ongoing care
This approach supports early and accurate diagnosis, optimises patient outcomes, and promotes efficient use of respiratory services across Coventry and Warwickshire
Sleep Pathway
The sleep physiology services assess patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA)
The service aims to identify and treat OSA, a condition that can significantly impact sleep quality, cardiovascular health and overall wellbeing. Diagnostic testing is delivered through home sleep studies, followed by CPAP therapy initiation and ongoing review and support to optimise adherence and clinical outcomes
Breathlessness pathway
A clinical scientist led pathway, providing a structured, multidisciplinary approach for patients presenting with unexplained breathlessness
The purpose of this pathway is to provide a symptom-based pathway with the aim to improve and streamline the respiratory diagnostics service, delivered by a team of clinical scientists with specialist clinical training in the speciality of respiratory medicine
The service will provide a one-stop clinic approach combining multiple diagnostics, clinical consultation, and therapy plans to patients with either an unclear diagnosis or disproportionate symptomatology
The use of one stop services promote efficiency, reduces hospital visits, reduces waiting times and improves resilience within the medical team and improves clinic availability within respiratory medicine for access to specialist service such as bronchiectasis clinics, severe asthma and interstitial lung disease patients
Patients will undergo a full clinical history review, observations, appropriate diagnostics and depending on the outcome; patients would be either discharged back to the GP with advice, managed by the physiology team, referred for a consultant review, or referred to other specialist services deemed appropriate
Children and Young People (CYP) Asthma Pathway
The CYP Asthma pathway aims to deliver a multidisciplinary asthma diagnostic service for children and young people aged 5-16 years. The pathway is designed to support GP’s and other community services in delivering timely and accurate asthma diagnosis in line with NICE/BTS/SIGN guidelines
The pathway is a specialist-led multidisciplinary service, providing a one-stop clinic approach that includes:
- Specialist-led assessment of children with suspected asthma
- Access to objective diagnostic testing (spirometry, FeNO, bronchodilator reversibility, cardio-pulmonary exercise testing)
- Review and input from a multidisciplinary team including, Clinical Scientists, Paediatricians, and Specialist Respiratory Nurses
- Personalised asthma management plans to support ongoing care in primary settings
- This service aims to reduce delays in diagnosis, avoid unnecessary treatment provision, and provide families and clinicians with appropriate treatment plans
Services provided at each site and contact details
North Warwickshire CDC
- Spirometry
- Bronchodilator response
- FeNO
- Full pulmonary function testing
- Diagnostic sleep studies
- Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP therapy)
- Breathlessness Pathway
- CYP asthma pathway
- Oxygen assessment/ blood gases
North Warwickshire contact details:
Joanna Purvis Physiological Sciences Service Manager
Clinical queries: respiratory.physiologists@geh.nhs.uk
How to refer:
Referrals can be made via the electronic referral system (e-RS): Community Diagnostic Centre: Respiratory Physiology- Community Diagnostic Centre Georget Eliot Hospital
For further information or to speak to a member of the team, please contact the Physiological Sciences Service on 02476865128.
Rugby CDC
- Spirometry
- Bronchodilator response
- FeNO
- Full pulmonary function testing
- Diagnostic sleep studies
- Breathlessness Pathway
- CYP asthma pathway
Rugby CDC Contact Details:
Vicky Moore Consultant Clinical Scientist and Rugby CDC lead
Clinical queries: respiratorycdc @uhcw.nhs.uk
How to refer:
Referrals can be made via the electronic referral system (e-RS): Respiratory Community Diagnostic Centre: Community Rugby St Cross
For further information or to speak to a member of the team, please contact the Respiratory and Sleep Sciences Service on 02476 966734
South Warwickshire CDC
- Spirometry
- Bronchodilator response
- FeNO
- Full pulmonary function testing
- Diagnostic sleep studies
South Warwickshire Community Diagnostic Centre (Stratford Upon Avon Site)
How to refer:
Referrals can be made via the electronic referral system (e-RS): Community Diagnostic Centre
For further information or to speak to a member of the team, please contact:
Clinical queries: Respiratoryfunction@swft.nhs.uk
Referral queries: respiratoryamusecretaries@swft.nhs.uk, 01926 495321 [Ext] 4157
The Community Diagnostic Centres in North Warwickshire and Rugby also offer the following services:
- Children and Young People Asthma Pathway
- Breathlessness Pathway
- Direct to Sleep Diagnostic Pathway – Rugby CDC details to follow
Referral Pathway
Coventry Guidance 
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Rugby & South Warwickshire Guidance
.
South Warwickshire Guidance
The Respiratory Function Team at the Stratford Community Diagnostic Centre is pleased to confirm that direct access for respiratory diagnostic investigations are now available for all South Warwickshire community referrals
This development expands local access to high-quality respiratory assessments and quality-assured diagnostic investigations delivered by Respiratory and Sleep Healthcare Scientists, supporting early and accurate diagnosis of conditions such as Asthma, COPD, and Interstitial Lung Disease
In addition, the sleep-disordered breathing service for the assessment of obstructive sleep apnoea is planned to go live on 5th January 2026
These service developments form part of the wider network of Community Diagnostic Centres across Coventry and Warwickshire, offering spirometry, FeNO testing, full lung function testing, sleep studies, and specialist clinical interpretation to enhance patient-centred care, promote equitable access, and streamline respiratory and sleep pathways within the community
Diagnostic investigations available directly:
- Spirometry
- Bronchodilator response
- FeNO
- Full pulmonary function testing
Should further investigations be indicated outside of the routine diagnostic tests above, advanced testing may be performed at the main Respiratory Function Department at Warwick Hospital, such as, but not limited to: cardiopulmonary exercise testing or bronchial challenge testing
How to refer:
South Warwickshire Community Diagnostic Centre (Stratford-Upon-Avon site)
Referrals can be made via the electronic referral system (e-RS): Respiratory Diagnostic Triage Service – South Warwickshire Trust
Contact:
For further information or to speak to a member of the team, please contact:
- Clinical queries: Respiratoryfunction@swft.nhs.uk
- Referral/administration queries: respiratoryamusecretaries@swft.nhs.uk, 01926 495321 ext. 4157
North Warwickshire Guidance
Respiratory Diagnostic Service Community Diagnostic Centre at George Eliot Hospital
Referral guidance:
Prior to referral where asthma is suspected:
- Please perform spirometry with bronchodilator response if required if available
- Patient to complete a two week, twice daily peak flow diary
- Full blood count and total IgE
- Consider whether patient symptoms are cause by cancer or TB
- Consider red flag symptoms and request urgent chest x-ray
- Could patient symptoms be related to heart failure (consider CXR ECG and blood tests – check BNP levels >100 pg/mL suggestive of heart failure)
Reasons for referral:
- Unexplained breathlessness
- Unexplained cough
- Inconclusive spirometry (Please include most recent spirometry results if applicable)
- Disproportionate breathlessness
- Suspected airway or interstitial lung disease (Asthma, COPD, Bronchiectasis,
- interstitial lung disease)
- Poorly controlled or severe asthma
- Abnormal CXR (not suspicious for cancer, TB or current respiratory infection)
Referral Pathway
Services provided:
- Spirometry
- Spirometry and bronchodilator response
- FeNo
- Full Pulmonary Function (spirometry, lung volumes, gas transfer)
- Full Pulmonary Function and Bronchodilator Responsiveness
- All patients will have oxygen saturations checked and if SpO2<94% blood gases performed
By completing the patient referral both referrer and patient agree to further referral to other available services if clinically indicated. These may include but not limited to:
- Nijmegen questionnaire
- Blood gases
- Cardiopulmonary exercise testing
- Referral to respiratory medicine
- Referral to other speciality as appropriate
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