Respiratory and Sleep Department

Our Adult Outpatient Department provides outpatient appointments with specialist doctors, allied health professionals along with a Respiratory Laboratory for a full range of lung function testing.

You can use our services if you have been referred from the emergency department, a general practitioner or specialty doctor.

Our team includes:

Clinical Nurse Consultants to assess and assist in specialty clinics such as respiratory failure and severe asthma.

Administration staff who will help you organise your appointments, inform you about what will happen and answer any questions you may have.

Doctors who will assess, treat and help you manage your medical condition.

Respiratory Physiotherapists who help assess and treat respiratory patients with conditions such as bronchiectasis.

Monday to Friday

8.00am - 4.30pm

We specialist in general respiratory medicine, respiratory failure services, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, severe asthma, general sleep medicine and Continual Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) clinic.  We have a dedicated respiratory laboratory onsite and a sleep laboratory to perform required sleep studies.  We provide a face to face service where patients are clinically reviewed and assessed as per the referring doctors request and patient past/current medical issues.

This service is available to patients who have a respiratory or sleep related illness as addressed in the referral.  Geographical region to be reviewed.

Clinics:

  • General Respiratory
  • Severe Asthma clinic
  • Sleep clinic
  • Interstitial Lung clinic
  • Pulmonary Hypertension clinic
  • Respiratory Failure clinic
  • CPAP clinic

General Respiratory: Monday to Thursday

Severe Asthma: Monday (monthly)

Sleep Clinic:  Tuesday to Thursday

Interstitial Lung Clinic:  Tuesday (monthly)

Pulmonary Hypertension:  Wednesday (fortnightly)

Respiratory Failure:  Wednesday (fortnightly)

CPAP:  Tuesday to Thursday

Sleep Psychologist: Monday (fortnightly)

Can I choose the day and time I attend the department for my appointment?

We have doctors clinics, allied health clinics and nursing clinics at set times.  We try to find an appointment time that allows you to attend.

Will I always see the same doctor at each visit?

The St George Hospital is a teaching hospital so you will be seen by a specialist doctor or a specialist doctor in training.  You will stay under the care of the specialist doctor but you may see the doctor in training for your appointments.

Who can I bring with me to my appointment?

There is limited seating so please bring along only one support person (for example, a family member, friend, or carer) with you.

You will need a referral letter from your local general practitioner (GP) or specialty doctor to use this service. Please ask them to write you a referral letter explaining your medical history, relevant test results, imaging results and what medicines you are taking.

We will then send you a letter in the post with the details of your appointment date, time and location. If an appointment cannot be made we will send you a letter confirming that you are on the outpatient waiting list for the next available appointment. Please let us know if your address and/or phone number changes.

If you need to change or cancel your appointment please telephone 02 9113 2325.

Waiting times for an appointment are different for each speciality and depends on the seriousness of your medical condition. The department is busy and there may be delays when you arrive for your appointment. Most people are seen within 1 to 3 hours. We ask that you arrive at your allocated appointment time to prevent having to wait longer.

Appointment Reminders

If we have your mobile phone number in our system you will receive a text message reminding you of your appointment date and time 3 days before your appointment.

  • Current Medicare card or Veteran Affairs card, referral, CPAP download (if applicable), relevant imaging or pathology reports
  • Any Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card.
  • Insurer details (eg workers compensation, public liability or third party).
  • Your Private Health Fund Membership card if you are currently insured with a private health fund.
  • Recent X-rays or medical images and their reports, if applicable.
  • Activities to keep you entertained while waiting (for example, a book, music player with headphones, crosswords). There is also a television and magazines available in the waiting area.
  • If you have any particular medical needs we suggest you come prepared (for example, bring your medicines, if you are diabetic please bring food). 
  • To avoid missing your appointment we suggest you collect refreshments from the cafes located in the foyer of the hospital before checking in. If you need to leave the waiting area for any reason please inform staff at the reception desk. 

We are teaching hospital and you may be asked to be involved in research or for a student to be present at your appointment. You have a right to say no. If you do so, this will not impact in any way on the services we will provide.

Please let us know if you need an interpreter. You can contact us telephoning the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) on 131 450. Tell the operator what language you speak and then ask the

interpreter to set up a telephone conversation between you, an interpreter, and the healthcare

Professional you want to speak with.