Children’s home ventilation and complex airway service

Who we are

We are a multidisciplinary team (MDT) including a children’s ventilation and sleep consultant, paediatric ear nose and throat (ENT) surgeon, long-term ventilation clinical nurse specialist, ENT clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), a speech and language therapist and sleep physiologists. We care for children across all children’s services areas who require the home ventilation and complex care service.

Who do we look after?

Our service cares for children who need a ventilator to support their breathing at home (‘home ventilation’ or ‘long-term ventilation’). A ventilator is a device that helps move air in and out of the lungs.

Ventilators may be needed for a number of reasons. Children may need extra help with their breathing, because they have a condition affecting their lungs, airway, and muscles or nerves that drive breathing. Many children only need a ventilator for part of the day (usually overnight). A small number of children cannot breathe for themselves and need full-time ventilator support.

Some of the children we care for have breathing support delivered using a tracheostomy. Other children receive ventilation using a mask that fits onto their face.

What we offer

The team assesses children who may benefit from breathing support at home. We support ventilated children and their families when they are in hospital, in continuing care and at home. Our services include:

• specialist medical, surgical and nursing advice for complex and ventilation issues
• a point of contact and resource while in hospital and at home
• a MDT to deliver the most appropriate treatment plan
• training and educating children, families and care teams to provide the skills needed to manage the ventilated child at home
• ensuring that children have the most suitable equipment for their needs
• co-ordinating the discharge planning process to ensure that children are safe and supported from hospital to home
• monitoring progress and making changes to the treatment plan when needed
• a dedicated MDT outpatient clinic for children receiving or being assessed for home ventilation
• monitoring, support and liaison with local team regarding developmental needs

How to contact us

Long-term ventilation (LTV) CNS team
01223 596178 – Monday to Friday 09:00 (9am) to 17:00 (5pm)
or email the LTV CNS team

Ear, nose and throat (ENT) CNS team
01223 216162 – Monday to Friday 08:30 (8:30am) to 16:30 (4:30pm)
or email the ENT CNS team

LTV/sleep co-ordinator
01223 217613 – Monday to Friday 08:30 (8:30am) to 15:30 (3:30pm)

or email the LTV sleep co-ordinator

Clinic 6 (for outpatient appointments)
01223 216410 – Monday to Friday 08:30 (8:30am) to 17:00 (5pm)