Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.

It includes:

  • emphysema – damage to the air sacs in the lungs
  • chronic bronchitis – long-term inflammation of the airways

The breathing problems tend to get gradually worse over time and can limit your normal activities, although treatment can help keep the condition under control.

The main symptoms of COPD are:

  • increasing breathlessness, particularly when you're active
  • a persistent chesty cough with phlegm – some people may dismiss this as just a "smoker's cough"
  • frequent chest infections
  • persistent wheezing

Without treatment, the symptoms usually get progressively worse. There may also be periods when they get suddenly worse, known as a flare-up or exacerbation.

Contact us

Northern services 

The Respiratory Specialist Nurses provide a Helpline number 01271 311600 which is available Mon-Fri 8.00-16.00.

CREADO Team – 01271 341505

Sharon Standen – 01271 349589

Sally Pearson – 01271 322443

Jess Cole – 01271 311600

Eastern services

If you want to get in contact, please call the Hospital switchboard on 01392 411611 and ask to be put through to the department.

 

Meet the team

Northern services

Consultants

Dr Alison Moody – Consultant Physician
Dr Georgina Hands – Consultant Physician
Dr Jareer Raza – Consultant Physician

Respiratory Nurses

Lynn Greenfield – Respiratory Specialist Nurse
Sharon Newcombe – Respiratory Nurse

Secretaries

Sharon Standen – Secretary to Dr Alison Moody & Dr Jareer Raza
Sally Pearson – Secretary to Dr Georgina Hands
Jess Cole – Administrator for Respiratory Nurses
Melanie Duncan and Angela Sutton – Administrator for Lesley Parsons and Linda Jordan

 

Eastern services

 

Consultants

  • Dr Tom Burden - Consultant Physician 
  • Dr Lee Dobson - Consultant Respiratory Medicine
  • Dr Michael Gibbons - Consultant Physician 

Clinical Nurse Specialists

  • Sharon Alford - Respiratory Nurse Specialist. Early Supported Discharge Service (COPD)
  • Jo Burn - Respiratory Physiotherapist
  • Laura Childs - Respiratory Nurse Specialist
  • Katy Converso - Respiratory Nurse Matron & Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner
  • Michelle Curtis - Paediatric Respiratory & Allergy Nurse Specialist
  • Charlotte Hawkins - Clinical Lead Physiotherapist for Home Ventilation & Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner
  • Sarah Lines - Interstitial Lung Disease Nurse Specialist
  • Hilary Mortimer - Respiratory Nuse Specialist/ Bronchiectasis
  • Sandra Pope - Lead Lung Clinical Nurse Specialist
  • Abbie Rickards - Paediatric Respiratory and Allergy CNS
  • Ruth Unsworth - Respiratory/TB Nurse Specialist
  • Amanda Yates - Lead Asthma Specialist Nurse

 

Where to find us

Your healthcare professional will advise where your appointment will take place. Your appointment may take place at one of our outpatient clinics situated within our main hospital sites or within the community.

Eastern services

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford) 

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford)

Barrack Road

Exeter

EX2 5DW

 

Northern Services

North Devon District Hospital 

North Devon District Hospital

Raleigh Park

Barnstaple

Devon

EX31 4JB

Northern services CREADO team

The CREADO team is an Early Assisted Discharge Team who facilitate earlier discharge from Hospital and support in the community for patients having had a hospital admission due to COPD. Part of the remit of this team is to provide Pulmonary Rehabilitation at various locations in North Devon.

The team consists of COPD Specialist Nurses, Physiotherapists and HCSW's. They are based at Barnstaple Health centre. Their contact number is 01271 341505

Eastern Services COPD Early Supported Discharge

The Exeter COPD early supported discharge program aim to to facilitate early discharge, optimise medical management, and promote exercise and mental well-being. The service consists of a team of specialist Respiratory Nurses and Physiotherapists supported by a Respiratory Consultant.

Services and treatments

The damage to the lungs caused by COPD is permanent, but treatment can help slow down the progression of the condition.

Treatments include:

  • stopping smoking – if you have COPD and you smoke, this is the most important thing you can do
  • inhalers and medicines – to help make breathing easier
  • pulmonary rehabilitation – a specialised programme of exercise and education
  • surgery or a lung transplant – although this is only an option for a very small number of people

Find out more about how COPD is treated and living with COPD.

In the most severe cases, we provide a 'home oxygen' service. This involves setting you up with a special oxygen cylinder or machine which you can take home and use when you need.

Patient information leaflets

We produce a wide range of leaflets which provide information about our services and about the treatment you might receive in our clinics or during your stay in hospital. 

We also produce these in different formats including large print, please contact the department you are visiting for more information.

Find out more

Last updated: November 15, 2022.