Respiratory — South Canterbury

To contact the respiratory clinical nurse specialist at Timaru Hospital:

• phone: 03 687 2366

Respiratory services is at:

Timaru Hospital
Queen Street
Parkside 
Timaru 7910

Respiratory clinical nurse specialists work to promote respiratory health for people of all ages, their whānau and the community.

Care and services provided by our clinical nurse specialists include:

• comprehensive assessment of adults and children focusing on the impact of respiratory illness on quality of life
• self management plans created together with patients, support people and healthcare provider teams
• measurements such as the asthma control test and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test
• specialist respiratory clinical expertise for patients on home oxygen treatment
• initial screening for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) — we include a virtual consultation with a respiratory doctor at Christchurch Hospital
• follow-up sleep studies and support for patients on sleep therapy, again together with Christchurch Hospital
• post-discharge follow up for patients admitted to the emergency department and Timaru Hospital with respiratory conditions
• referral, assessment, education and follow up of patients who attend the multicondition rehabilitation programme.

Referrals to hospital respiratory clinical nurse specialists are from inpatient care teams and for patients admitted to Timaru Hospital.

You can be referred to a community respiratory clinical nurse specialist by your:

• general practitioner
• nurse practitioner
• practice nurse
• sleep health services or sleep unit.

You can be referred by letter or using the electronic referral management system.

You can also refer yourself for community respiratory services.