Appointments

Ambulatory oxygen

Your appointment may be:

If we prescribe you oxygen, we'll see you face-to-face to make sure the prescription is right for you.

How to get an appointment

Your hospital team who manage your medical condition can refer you.

Changing or cancelling your appointment

If you're unwell in the 6 weeks before your appointment, please contact us.

We may need to reschedule your appointment.

Before your appointment

You may receive a letter or text message confirming your appointment. If you use MyChart, your appointment details will be available on the app.

Please wear suitable clothes, including comfortable shoes for indoor walking.

We recommend you bring a bottle of water.

During your appointment

Your first appointment will usually be by telephone. We will ask questions about your breathing and activity levels to see if ambulatory oxygen is appropriate for you.

If ambulatory oxygen might help you and you would like to be assessed for it, we'll book a face-to-face appointment.

At your assessment you'll see a specialist physiotherapist or nurse. They will take some observations such as:

heart rate
blood pressure
oxygen levels as you are resting

You will do a short walking test, lasting 6 minutes. During this we'll check your oxygen levels. You'll be able to rest during the test, so please do not worry if you cannot walk for 6 minutes.

Depending on the results of your walking test, we may ask you to do another one. You'll do this test on oxygen. You'll rest before doing another walking test.

We'll discuss the results of the test with you. We'll talk to you about whether ambulatory oxygen will be helpful to you and if you would like to try it. You will have time to ask any questions you may have.

The appointment will last approximately 45 minutes.

We're a teaching hospital and sometimes students or other health professionals will be in the clinic to learn. We will tell you and always ask for your consent. Please let us know if you prefer not to have them at your appointment. This will not affect your care.

After your appointment

We'll send your GP a letter outlining the outcome and details of your appointment. You'll also receive a copy of this letter.

We may also refer you to other services if this is necessary. We'll always ask your consent before making referrals or sharing your details with other teams.

If we prescribe you oxygen, we'll arrange a follow-up telephone call to discuss how you're finding the oxygen device.

You will have a follow up face-to-face appointment booked to make sure your prescription is still right for you.

If we prescribe you oxygen you'll continue to receive care from us for as long as you're on the oxygen.

The physiotherapist in the clinic will discuss how often we need to see you, but we'll see you at least once a year.

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