The Occupational Lung Disease department is part of our asthma and allergy service at Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals.
With more than 20 years of experience, it is the longest-established unit for the investigation of occupational lung diseases in Europe. It is also the busiest clinic of its kind in the UK, and the birthplace of specific, occupational inhalation challenge testing.
The clinical department works within the occupational and environmental medicine service at Imperial College London. It aspires to be the UK's leading specialist centre for the investigation, management, and prevention of occupational and environmental lung diseases.
Find out more about occupational lung disease.
Our clinical team
- Dr Johanna Feary, consultant in occupational lung disease and asthma
- Professor Joanna Szram, consultant in occupational lung disease
- Tamanna Kabir, clinical nurse specialist in occupational lung disease
Appointments
Your appointment
We offer face-to-face and video appointments. Face-to-face appointments take place in the outpatients department at Royal Brompton Hospital.
How to get an appointment
You can be referred to our service from your GP or other healthcare professional. Find out more about occupational lung disease referrals.
We aim to see all new patients within 8 weeks. You will receive either a letter, text message or telephone call informing you of your appointment.
If you are a healthcare professional, find out how to refer a patient to our service.
Changing your appointment
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible. This means that we may be able to offer the appointment to another patient.
You can change or cancel your appointment by following the link in your text message reminder, or by calling the outpatients department on 020 7351 8011. If you have signed up to MyChart, you can also change your appointment via the patient app.
Face-to-face appointments
Before your appointment
We may ask you to arrive 1 hour before your appointment time. This is so we can carry out any initial tests. We will contact you ahead of your visit with more information.
You are welcome to bring someone with you to your appointment, such as a carer, family member or friend.
During your appointment
Our face-to-face clinic takes place on Mondays in our outpatients department at Royal Brompton Hospital. During your appointment, you will see a clinical nurse specialist and an occupational lung disease doctor.
You should expect your visit to last up to 3 hours. During this time, we may carry out some tests such as blood tests and a chest X-ray. Other tests may include:
- Lung function tests (spirometry). You should not use any reliever inhalers (such as Salbutamol or Bricanyl) for 4 hours before your appointment, or any long-acting bronchodilators (such as Symbicort, Seretide, Fostair, Serevent or Oxis) for 12 hours before your appointment.
- Skin prick (allergy) testing. You should not take any antihistamine medication for at least 72 hours (ideally 7 days) before your appointment. This is to ensure we get reliable results from the test.
- Serial peak-flow recording
- Specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) measurement
- Occupational inhalation challenge testing
We’re a teaching hospital. Sometimes medical students may be present at your appointment. Please let a member of staff know if you would prefer not to have students during your appointment. This will not affect your care.
After your appointment
We’ll arrange any follow-up appointments you may need.
We’ll send a letter to the healthcare professional who referred you. We’ll also send a copy of this letter to you and your GP.
You can use the MyChart patient app to view appointment information and get reminders of upcoming appointments. If you do not have the MyChart app, you will receive appointment reminders via your preferred means of communication.
Video appointments
We also offer video appointments. Video appointments take place between a patient and clinician using your smartphone, tablet or computer.
Contact us
Email: OCLDadvice@rbht.nhs.uk – for non-urgent clinical advice and support.
Location
Address: Royal Brompton Hospital, Fulham Wing, Dovehouse Street, London SW3 6JY
Our outpatients department is on the ground floor, next to the pharmacy and small snack bar.