Cystic Fibrosis

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We cover a large geographical area across all of the West, North and East Yorkshire out to the North Sea coast.  Our aim is to provide accessible excellent, specialist care to enable adults and young people with CF to maintain the best possible health and participate as fully as possible in normal activities and aspirations, including school, university, college, sports and work.

We offer state of the art facilities purpose-built within St James’s University Hospital with specific needs of adults with CF in mind.   People with CF are vulnerable to cross-infection. These infections can pass to other people with CF, particularly chest infections so the Unit and the Ward is designed and run to minimise any such risk. The Unit is designed to facilitate effective and safe care and Inpatients receive their care in their own side-rooms with en-suite facilities. Each room has a fridge, kettle, free internet access, computer with Microsoft Office, TV and DVD player. A large selection of films are also available.

J06 – 12 en suite rooms and 5 acute outpatient cubicles.

J12 – 2 en suite rooms and 1 acute outpatient cubicle.

The Outpatient Department is situated at Seacroft Hospital, York Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS14 6UH.

Routine segregated outpatient clinics are undertaken three times a week at Seacroft Hospital. Patients are seen in individual rooms.

All outpatient clinics are run by a Senior Consultant with the full multidisciplinary team.  At the outpatient clinic patients would be expected to see the nursing team, the physiotherapist, dietitian and doctor.

At each appointment patients have their weight, height (if appropriate), lung function and saturations monitored.  Routine measures such as blood pressure and blood glucose will also be performed. Blood tests are taken according to requirements. However patients will have full assessments bloods and CXR annually.

Routine segregated outpatient clinics are undertaken three times a week at Seacroft Hospital. Patients are seen in individual rooms.

Over 500 courses of intravenous therapy are carried out annually at the Adult CF Unit where a team of four full-time experienced CFNS and a full time support worker cover all aspects of the home therapy programme. It is important to be aware that strict criteria need to be fulfilled by the patient before a course of intravenous antibiotic treatment can be given in the home environment. If at any time it is felt that the patient is not improving or adherence is poor, the treatment will be discontinued at home and the patient admitted for in-patient treatment. Each course of therapy undertaken by the patient is carefully monitored by senior members of the medical team. Blood results, including antibiotic levels, and sputum results are reviewed daily and any adjustments to treatment are communicated to the patient.

A system is in place to provide teaching for patients who have not previously carried out treatment at home. Some patients prefer to have several days as an in-patient taking on board all of the information required. A fast track system can be made available over a two day period where the patient attends as a day case.

The patient’s latest sputum and list of antibiotic allergies is taken into account when prescribing antibiotic combinations for the start of treatment. For patients without an indwelling port, venous access can often be the cause of great stress and anxiety. It is of vital importance that this procedure runs smoothly to minimise any long term problems for future therapy. A senior member of the team or a CF nurse specialist with experience in long line insertion should be available to ensure that problems are kept to a minimum

The present protocol dictates that the first dose of each antibiotic prescribed is administered in hospital, the patient attending as a day case. If the patient has never been treated with a particular antibiotic before, the first two doses are administered in hospital. All patients are taught how to treat any drug reaction and provided with an anaphylaxis kit.

A multi-disciplinary ward round to discuss patients on home intravenous therapy takes place weekly. All aspects of their current treatment are discussed in detail to ensure the patient receives the best treatment at all times. Abnormal blood results are highlighted and acted upon. The CFNS discuss any new problems on a daily basis with a senior member of the medical team.

It is important that any patient who has experienced problems, or about whom the CFNS are concerned, is reviewed by a senior doctor at the end of treatment. Their follow up appointment can thus be tailored to their individual needs.

In 2007 we became the first CF unit to successfully implement full electronic patient records, which has significantly improved quality of care.

We are proud of the outcomes for our patients which are above the UK average in all areas including lung function, survival and nutrition.  These outcome measures are demonstrated in the National UK Registry of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and are available in the public domain via the CF website  www.cftrust.org.uk.