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Respiratory Medicine is concerned with diagnosing, managing, treating, and preventing diseases, infections and disorders that affect the respiratory system, which includes both acute and chronic lung disease. It looks at the anatomy and physiology of the respiratory system, including the nose, nasal passages, sinuses, throat, larynx, trachea (windpipe), lungs, chest wall, and diaphragm. Respiratory conditions include asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung or thoracic cancers, chronic cough, respiratory infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, and respiratory failure, among others. These conditions can cause pain and inflammation, restrict airflow, affect blood circulation through the lungs, and impact on sleep and quality of life. Respiratory Medicine services involve diagnostic laboratory testing of lung function, medical imaging, sleep polysomnography, pleural procedures and fibre-optic bronchoscopy. Specialists coordinate a range of treatments to manage symptoms, prevent further disease, and improve a patient’s quality of life. These range from medications and non-invasive therapies to surgical procedures or emergency ventilation. This field of medicine concerns frontline emergency care, as well as primary and secondary care, across hospitals and community settings. Patient care involves a coordinated and multidisciplinary team approach, requiring collaboration with a range of medical, nursing and allied health practitioners, such as Radiologists, Nuclear Medicine Specialists, Pathologists, Thoracic Surgeons, Medical and Clinical Oncologists, Palliative Care Physicians, Specialist Respiratory Nurses, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Pharmacists and Respiratory Physiologists.

Respiratory Medicine Jobs

Respiratory Physicians specialise in diagnosing and treating respiratory disorders such as Cystic fibrosis, emphysema, lung disease, pneumonia, pulmonary vascular disorders, hypertension, sleep apnoea, tuberculosis and other conditions involving respiratory infection or failure. Patients can present with breathlessness, a cough, haemoptysis, or chest pain. Respiratory Physicians undertake a variety of diagnostic investigations, such as lung function testing, pleural ultrasound, and polysomnography observation. They work in multidisciplinary teams, have a range of procedural skills and a broad understanding of internal medicine. They provide clinical management of patients with acute emergency conditions, chronic conditions, or those requiring end-of-life care. They work in lung clinics in hospitals, and coordinate services providing care in primary, secondary and community settings. They create integrated health care plans for patients with chronic or genetic respiratory conditions, and can prescribe a range pharmaceutical, therapeutic or surgical treatments. They can perform emergency procedures including intubation and ventilation. At this level, Doctors provide clinical leadership, oversee patient care, train registrars, and participate in education, research, and other professional development activities. To pursue a career in this field, doctors complete foundation and core training, followed by respiratory medicine training, which takes approximately 4-years, is approved for dual CCT with General (internal) medicine or Intensive care medicine, and leads to specialty registration with the GMC.

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Registrars (Respiratory Medicine) are undertaking specialised training in respiratory medicine and its clinical practice. They work under specialist respiratory medicine physicians and develop technical skills, procedural skills and clinical expertise in this field. They gain valuable work experience in providing respiratory medicine services to patients. They work in collaboration with the wider medical team, where they support junior members and receive support from senior staff.

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Respiratory Nurse Specialists work in hospitals and community settings, including hospital outpatient clinics, acute care settings and in patient’s homes. They help to provide specialist clinics and integrated respiratory services, which may involve oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, assessment of patients nursing needs, implementation and evaluation of care delivery, and support and education for patients and their families. To work in this field, Nurses need to be registered and some employers request postgraduate qualifications such as the respiratory diploma-COPD/Asthma, or independent prescribing, or clinical experience caring for respiratory patients.

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