Refer to the community cardiology and respiratory service

Find out how to refer patients to our community cardiology and respiratory service.

GPs

If you are concerned that your patients are experiencing cardiac and respiratory symptoms, you may refer them to our service and we will give them an appointment at the most appropriate clinic location.

This is a one-stop service, so we ask that when you refer patients to us, you include the following results: 

• chest x-ray
• diagnostic spirometry
• blood tests including urea and electrolytes (U&Es), full blood count (FBC), UFTs, thyroid function (TFT), glucose and cholesterol 
• for referrals into the heart failure service, brain natriuretic peptide test (BNP)

In addition to our community clinics, we offer a direct GP referral service for rapid access to cardiac and respiratory diagnostic testing with reporting provided by specialist consultants.

How to refer

To refer a patient to our community cardiology service, please email all referral information to the appropriate contact for your local clinical commissioning group (CCG):

Central and West London CCG

Email: ICHC-tr.referrals-communitycardioresp@nhs.net

Ealing CCG

Email: ICHC-tr.EalingComCardioReferrals-CO@nhs.net

Hammersmith and Fulham CCG

Email: ICHC-tr.HFCommCardioResp-Referrals@NHS.net

GP advice

Our community cardiology and respiratory service provides email and phone-based advice for GPs. The advice email is monitored by consultants every Monday through Friday, and GPs can expect a response within 24 hours. The telephone helpline is a resource that enables patients and GPs to quickly access specialist advice. Advice for GPs is provided by our consultants, and urgent patients can be slotted in quickly if indicated via telephone.

Email: Imperial.CardiologyAdvice@nhs.net
Phone: 020 3312 3290

Additional information for GPs

Many patients can have their care managed entirely within community clinics, but some conditions, investigations and procedures are best managed in hospital or through other community services. These include: 

• device (ICD) clinics 
• adult congenital heart disease at the Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust  
• hyperlipidaemia (lipids) 
• inherited cardiac conditions   
• Pacing checks 
• Patients with an abnormal chest x-ray and possible lung cancer (secondary care)
• diagnosis or management for patients with primary restrictive lung disease (secondary care)
• respiratory physiotherapy or nursing for patients without a chronic respiratory disease (general community rehab or nursing service)
• investigations for respiratory muscle weakness (secondary care)
• sleep service (secondary care at Charing Cross Hospital)
• long term home nebuliser service (secondary care or district nursing)

If you wish your patient to be considered for one the following tests or procedures, please refer them into the community service. The consultant will see and assess your patient and then make the appropriate referrals. More complex tests include: 

• Invasive cardiology procedures, including diagnostic coronary angiography, coronary PCI (stents), right heart catheter assessment 
• Stress imaging (stress echocardiography or stress perfusion MRI)
• Transoesophageal echocardiography to investigate valvular heart disease
• Tilt table testing for patients having recurrent collapses or syncope