Liverpool Ventilation Service

The service currently has around 1,300 patients, with a variety of clinical conditions not including patients with spinal cord injury. This patient group are looked after by the North West Regional Spinal Injuries Centre.

Predominantly we see people who have:

• Neuromuscular disease – e.g. motor neurone disease and muscular dystrophy
• Central sleep apnoea
• Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• Chest wall deformities.

You might also need home ventilation if you have ventilatory failure such as in long term lung conditions, for example;

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Bronchiectasis
• Cystic fibrosis.

We also provide care for patients with tracheostomies who have breathing problems requiring ventilation and some patients who need assistance with respiratory secretions and cough.

The service works closely with Alder Hey Children’s Hospital to provide continuation of care for complex young adults as they transition from paediatric to adult services ventilation services. 

We accept referrals from a number of sources. This can be in letter form if sent from the community. All hospital referrals should use the guided referral form.

What is Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV)? 

NIV is a treatment which may help with your breathing, using a machine and a mask. The aim of this ventilation is to make sure that you get a good deep breath, when your own breathing is not deep enough. NIV is usually given through a mask over your nose. When you breathe in, the machine delivers a supported breath to make sure you get enough air and oxygen

What is it used for? 

There are many different reasons why NIV therapy may be needed, including: bone problems that make the chest small,  muscle problems that make taking a deep breath hard, being very overweight, where the brain does not tell you to breathe. It can also be used alongside other treatments to prevent breathlessness and shallow breathing when you are lying down. Without treatment this may lead to a strain on your heart, or daytime sleepiness. If you are unsure about the reason why you have been given the machine please ask the doctor or physiotherapist.

Will I be seen by a doctor, nurse or physiotherapist? 

The whole multidisciplinary team is involved in your care. Following an assessment to determine your need for the machine, you will be invited to an outpatient clinic for commencement of therapy.  During this time you will have a full explanation about the machine and how to use it. A mask will also be chosen and fitted. Your ventilator may send information on your use of the machine to the physiotherapy/nursing team. This helps the team review your compliance and management of the device. The data is not checked on a regular basis and accessed only as part of a clinical review. A member of the team may check your progress with the machine in the weeks following commencement. They will telephone you to discuss this, before you are reviewed as an outpatient by a chest medicine doctor. You will also receive a list of contact numbers so that you can call us

• Home Mechanical Ventilation in Partnership
• Motor Neurone Disease Association.