• Reference Number: HEY1506/2025
• Departments: Respiratory Medicine
• Last Updated: 31 January 2025

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your rapid access review. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your asthma team but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.

What is the rapid access review service?

As you are already attending our asthma clinic, we would like to offer additional support if you experience a flare-up of your asthma symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, chest tightness or wheezing. This service helps us identify the cause of the flare-up and provide the appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

Please note that the Rapid Access Review Service is not for emergency situations. If you are experiencing a severe asthma attack, please call 999 immediately.

How the service works:

The Rapid Access Review Service is available during our working hours: 08:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday. Unfortunately, the service is not available on weekends or bank holidays.

If your asthma symptoms worsen, including shortness of breath, cough, wheeze, or chest tightness, despite using your regular inhalers and medications, please call us on tel: 01482 674362 ideally before 10:00am. If safe to do so, please do contact us prior to starting acute treatment for your asthma (e.g. antibiotics or steroids) as this helps us in our clinical assessment. 

We will ask you a few questions over the phone to ensure we can assist you with a rapid access review. If appropriate, we will offer you an appointment either the same day or the next day. If we are unable to provide you with a rapid access review, we will offer telephone advice and signpost to alternate healthcare providers.

If you are unable to reach us during working hours, please leave a voicemail, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

However, if you’re very concerned about your asthma flare up and need immediate support, please contact your GP or call NHS tel: 111.

For severe symptoms (such as being unable to speak in full sentences, a significant drop in peak flow, or difficulty with daily activities), dial tel: 999 for emergency medical help.

Outside of our working hours, please contact NHS tel: 111 or dial tel: 999 for urgent assistance.

Where is the rapid access review clinic?

You will be asked to meet us at one of 2 sites:

HRI SITE

Day Room, H37. Hull Royal Infirmary. Anlaby Road. Hull. HU3 2JZ.

(Press the buzzer to notify the ward of your arrival)

CHH SITE

Lung Function Department, CHH. Castle Road, Cottingham, HU16 5JQ

(Inform reception of your arrival)

What to expect in the clinic:

One of our nurse specialists will review your condition. The review will include:

• Taking a medical history
• Conducting a physical examination
• Checking your vital signs, including your blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation.

Based on your symptoms, we may also carry out the following clinical tests:

• Peak Flow Measurement; This test checks how quickly and forcefully you can exhale. We will compare your results with your personal best or what is expected for your age, height, and gender.
• Fractional Nitric Oxide Measurement; This helps us assess the level of inflammation in your airways.
• Spirometry; Spirometry is a basic breathing test which measures the amount of air that you can blow out.
• Chest X-ray
• Blood Tests
• Throat Swab for Respiratory Viruses
• Sputum (Phlegm) Sample

**Please bring your peak flow meter (if you have one) and asthma inhaler to your appointment**

What happens afterwards?

After your review, you will receive a management plan that has been developed in collaboration with you, the nurse, and often the Respiratory Doctor. We will explain the plan to you clearly, and we will send a clinic letter to both you and your GP to confirm the details.

Once your test results are available, we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss whether any additional treatment is needed. We will also call you to check on your progress. The frequency of these follow-up calls will depend on your condition and how you’re doing.

How do I make a comment about my visit?

We are committed to providing the best possible service, and our staff are always happy to answer any questions you may have. If you have any suggestions or comments about your visit, please feel free to speak to a member of staff or contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) on tel: 01482 623065, or by email at hyptr.pals.mailbox@nhs.net. The PALS team is here to listen to your concerns, suggestions, or queries and can often help resolve any issues on your behalf.

If you need further advice regarding any of the information in this leaflet, please don’t hesitate to contact the Severe Asthma Service on tel: 01482 674362.

This leaflet was produced by the Severe Asthma Service, Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, and will be reviewed in three years from the date of publication.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.