London's leading Respiratory Unit

The department includes a dedicated Sleep Clinic, which assesses and treats patients with disturbed sleep patterns, sleep disordered breathing and specifically obstructive sleep apnoea.

Our multi-disciplinary medical team includes Consultant Physicians in Sleep, Allergy and Thoracic Medicine, Specialist Clinical Physiologists and has strong links with a Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist and Dietician.

It is universally recognised that beyond diagnosis, patients with chronic lung disorders, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis and Sarcoidosis should have regular respiratory testing as a standard part of their monitoring.

Assessments can be done for occupational exposures to identify the best treatment plan. We also offer a comprehensive Skin Allergy Testing service to identify substances responsible for a variety of Allergic conditions. Please see our separate Allergy Unit leaflet for full details.

With our unparalleled flexibility and expertise we offer our patients the ultimate standard of care and treatment.

Our staff will give you plenty of time at your consultation, during which a comprehensive history of all problems will be taken before skin testing. This will help guide the testing process and will allow greater accuracy in interpretation and also ensuring that no tests are missed. Careful questioning by the doctor goes 90% of the way to a correct diagnosis.

A brief examination of the nose, eyes, lungs, glands and skin will follow and tests will be performed to confirm the doctor’s diagnosis.

It is important that the patient  if possible stops taking anti-histamines (e.g. Piriton, Clarityn, Cetirizine etc.) five days before your appointment so that the skin tests are more likely to give reliable results.

If you are just coming for skin prick testing you will meet with the nurse who will perform the test. This involves putting drops of the allergen (food or pollen etc) on to your arm and pricking this gently with a lancet, which should not break the skin. The procedure is not painful and is generally well tolerated. After the test anti-histamine can be taken if necessary to take away the itch.

Our in-clinic tests:

·      Skin prick testing
·      Allergy blood tests
·      Lung function testing
·      Allergy challenges

Once diagnosed, the patient’s understanding of the causes of the allergy will make controlling it much more successful.

What should I do if I suspect my child has an allergy/ Do I need to see my GP first?

Some insurers require a GP referral in order to ensure your appointment is covered. It is important to ensure that the insurer agrees to cover the cost of tests including skin prick testing and blood tests.

Our Appointments Team have a dedicated and caring approach to finding you the earliest appointment possible with the best specialist.

Most patients are referred to us by their GP or another medical specialist as a referral letter is often needed before an appointment can be confirmed.

If you do not have a GP, the we may be able to assist you by suggesting the most appropriate course of action for you to take, given your location and individual circumstance.

If you have medical insurance (e.g. Bupa, Axa PPP, Norwich Union), you will need to contact your insurer to get authorisation for any treatment and, in most cases, you will require a referral letter from your GP.

The Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth is a charity, meaning every time you visit here for treatment you are helping someone less fortunate than yourself.

Our aim is to help care for the sick, whilst putting back profits from our world-renowned organisation to fund our on-site hospice and clinics. Our key objectives are to make sure that patients receive the support and treatment they need in an environment that is safe and secure, offering the very highest standards of care to whoever seeks it.