Pulmonary Hypertension Service
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare lung disorder where blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels, and the walls of the blood vessels (pulmonary arteries) become thicker.
The investigation and treatment of pulmonary hypertension is coordinated via a number of national centres which link to local satellite centres.
The Pulmonary Hypertension Service at the John Radcliffe Hospital is a satellite service linked to the Royal Brompton Hospital London and is part of the National Pulmonary Hypertension Service for England.
Most patients with pulmonary hypertension experience symptoms of breathlessness. Their condition may have been identified following an echocardiogram, or during follow-up for congenital heart disease.
We care for patients with pulmonary hypertension, offering:
- full diagnostic investigation
- inpatient and outpatient management
- long-term follow-up.
Outpatient clinics take place monthly at the John Radcliffe Hospital, with
joint clinics with the Royal Brompton Hospital taking place at the John Radcliffe Hospital every three months.
Virtual multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings with clinicians from the Royal Brompton Hospital take place monthly.
Our team
Please see 'Our team' / 'Cardiology consultants / Consultant biographies'.
Consultants
- Dr Alex Pitcher (Clinical Lead)
Consultant Cardiologist
- Dr Elizabeth Orchard
Consultant Cardiologist (Adult Congenital Heart Disease Lead)
- Dr Rachel Hoyles
Consultant Chest Physician (Interstitial Lung Disease Lead)
- Dr Henry Bettinson
Consultant Chest Physician
- Dr Kostas Dimopoulos
Consultant Cardiologist Royal Brompton Hospital
- Dr John Wort
Consultant Chest physician Royal Brompton Hospital
Nurses
- Emma Weingart
Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Lead Nurse
- Angela Austen
Specialist Nurse Practitioner
- Lisa George
Specialist Nurse Practitioner
Administration
Lorraine Soanes
Investigations
Some of these investigations take place at an outpatient clinic.
Outpatient consultations last for up to 40 minutes, but two to three hours will be needed to complete the investigations.
After an outpatient consultation a diagnosis may be confirmed, but the cause and treatment may require further assessment. Details are sent in a letter to the patient and their GP after their consultation.
Treatment
Pulmonary hypertension is a condition with a number of causes, each of which may be treated in a different way.
Some patients may need a day case procedure called cardiac catheterisation.
Some treatments may require a short hospital stay (one to two days) at first.
Contact us
If your condition worsens, please contact your GP in the first instance.
If you are receiving specific drug treatment for Pulmonary Hypertension you may contact the Specialist Nurses.
Pulmonary Hypertension Specialist Nurses
Tel: 01865 740412 / via John Radcliffe switchboard 0300 304 7777 Bleep 6737
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