Respiratory Services provides secondary level care for patients with respiratory disorders on an inpatient, outpatient and domiciliary basis throughout the Canterbury Region. It also acts as a tertiary referral centre for the northern half of the South Island.
At Christchurch Hospital, there is a specialist inpatient ward, where we see about 1800 cases annually. This caters for patients with acute respiratory illness and those requiring hospitalization for respiratory investigations and treatment. There is a dedicated area for the provision of non-invasive ventilation using BiPAP. The outpatient service located within the outpatient area of Christchurch hospital sees approximately 1400 new patients a year.
There are currently 12 respiratory Physicians in the department, supported by 4 registrars and 3 house officers. Inpatient care is delivered by 2 teams. The department is accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and can offer 3 advanced training positions in Respiratory Medicine at any one time. Trainees can expect to gain experience in all aspects of respiratory medicine, including the core sleep component of Respiratory Medicine training. The department is also accredited for up to 12 months of advanced training in Sleep Medicine. Usually, one registrar position is filled by a basic trainee.
The department is supported by the Canterbury Physiology Laboratory and the Canterbury Respiratory Research Group, both of which have excellent international reputations.
Dr Michael Hlavac
Clinical Director
Phone: (+64 3) 364 0640
Email: michael.hlavac@cdhb.health.nz
