Respiratory medicine in Nottingham: lung tests, asthma, COPD and sleep apnoea care

The respiratory page on Spire's Nottingham site describes the diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic dysfunction of the cardiopulmonary system. The conditions it names are lung cancer, asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and pneumonia, and the only named test is a sleep apnoea test. It also points readers to a fuller treatments section or the hospital switchboard, so the page itself should be seen as a signpost and not a complete service description.

The hospital's main page lists CT, MRI, ultrasound and X-ray, and a chest X-ray or CT scan is usually the first imaging step for a persistent cough, breathlessness or an abnormal shadow on a previous film. That means a private patient can often get both a consultation and a scan in one place, but lung function testing, bronchoscopy and specialist asthma assessments are not itemised in the pages retrieved, so ask which are done on site.

Spire is on Tollerton Lane, about five miles south of the centre, with free unlimited parking and a taxi of around 15 minutes from the station. For breathless patients the walk from the car park to the clinic and the lack of a nearby tram or train stop are practical points to check when arranging transport.

Woodthorpe's website lists orthopaedics, general surgery, ophthalmology, cosmetic surgery, urology, dermatology, diagnostics and physiotherapy, and respiratory medicine does not appear on the pages retrieved. Its facilities page lists X-ray, MRI, CT and ultrasound, and a diagnostics page mentions mobile MRI and CT units, so a scan can be arranged there, but a listed scan service is not the same as a chest physician's clinic.

If your GP suggests Woodthorpe for a scan, confirm who reports it and where the report goes. If you want a respiratory consultant privately, Spire is the one of the two that mentions the specialty. The hospital is at 748 Mansfield Road, north of the centre, with free on-site parking that one page describes as limited.

Nottingham University Hospitals describes respiratory medicine as a comprehensive inpatient and outpatient service for all common and most rare respiratory problems, delivered at the QMC, City Hospital and the National Rehabilitation Centre. It lists asthma, including a Severe Asthma Service, bronchiectasis, COPD including a Complex COPD Service, cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung disease, a national centre for lymphangioleiomyomatosis, tuberculosis, lung cancer, sleep disorders, complex home ventilation and weaning, and pleural services.

The diagnostic side includes bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound, full lung function testing with respiratory muscle tests, oxygen assessments, fitness-to-fly assessments, bronchial challenge tests, skin testing for allergens and nebuliser assessments. The Lung Function and Sleep Services page says lung function and non-invasive ventilation tests run on B Floor at the QMC on Derby Road and on the first floor of the north corridor at City Hospital on Hucknall Road.

Sleep testing is offered as home-based studies, including a detailed overnight Nox study and overnight oximetry, with equipment collected from the clinic and worn at home. The service also supports patients on CPAP and home ventilation. For a private patient, the practical conclusion is that the NHS holds most of the specialist infrastructure, so ask any private consultant how a referral for specialist tests or a severe asthma assessment would be made.

Asthma and COPD are the commonest long-term lung conditions. Asthma typically causes variable wheeze and breathlessness with triggers, while COPD causes persistent breathlessness and cough, mainly in people who smoke or have smoked. Spirometry, which measures how much air you can blow out and how fast, is the central test, and the result is compared with what is expected for your age, height and sex.

A cough that lasts more than three weeks, breathlessness that is getting worse, or unexplained weight loss warrants a chest X-ray and often a CT scan. Suspected lung cancer is handled on a fast NHS pathway with a diagnosis confirmed or ruled out within 28 days, and Nottingham's trust describes a large lung cancer centre at City Hospital. Pneumonia is usually diagnosed by examination and chest X-ray and treated with antibiotics, and recovery can take weeks.

Sleep apnoea is suspected when someone snores heavily, stops breathing at night, wakes unrefreshed or falls asleep in the day. The condition is confirmed by an overnight study, and treatment is typically CPAP or a mandibular device. People should not drive when drowsy, and the DVLA has rules for those with a diagnosis.

• Spirometry: airflow measured by blowing into a machine.

• Chest X-ray and CT: shadows, scarring, nodules and lung structure.

• Overnight oximetry or sleep study: oxygen levels and breathing pauses.

• Bronchoscopy: a camera test of the airways, usually performed in NHS units.

Ask a private respiratory consultant which tests are available on site and which would be done elsewhere, such as at an NHS laboratory. Ask who prescribes and monitors long-term inhalers, home oxygen or CPAP, since these are often co-ordinated through your GP or the NHS service.

Check what your insurance covers: many policies pay for investigating a new symptom but not for routine follow-up of a long-term condition. If you pay yourself, ask for an itemised quote covering consultation, imaging, lung function and any sleep study.

This guide reflects pages checked in October 2026 and services change. If you have sudden breathlessness, chest pain, coughing up blood, blue lips or cannot speak in full sentences, do not wait: call 999. For less urgent worries, NHS 111 or your GP can advise.