Outpatient Appointments

A large amount of your contact with the CF team will be through outpatient appointments.

These visits to the hospital help us to get to know you better so we can recognise when you may want help with your CF.

As far as possible we hope to keep you well enough so you do not need to be admitted to hospital. Catching up with you regularly at clinic is one way to check that you are feeling well and gives us the opportunity to help with any issues that are bothering you.

Most clinics are held at QEUH and are located in Area G on the first floor.

Some patients may be asked to attend Clinic Room 9 which is located on the ground floor in the main outpatients department.

If you are not sure of directions to the clinic please ask one of the volunteers in the red t shirts located at the main entrance to the hospital.

Once a month a clinic is held at Yorkhill (this clinic is only for patients who carry Mycobacterium Abscessus).

What happens at Clinic?

Types of Clinics

Multidisciplinary Clinic

These are the main clinics.

We see most people every 3-4 months for a routine check up. Some people may be seen more regularly.

You will be allocated a single clinic room - all your tests and treatments will be carried out in this room as far as possible.
Your spirometry, weight and oxygen saturations will be checked.
You will be asked to provide a sputum sample if you are able.
CF Team members will come and see you in your room (you will normally see several members of the team - this may include nurse, doctor, physiotherapist, dietician, pharmacist or psychologist).

Annual Reviews

Your annual review appointment may take longer than a standard clinic appointment. This is an opportunity for us to look back at how your health has been over the previous year and address any specific issues you wish to raise.

At an annual review you will usually see a member of every team (nurse, doctor, physiotherapist, dietician, pharmacist, health care support worker (who takes blood tests) and psychologist).

We will check your full lung function tests at this appointment (this is a more detailed assessment than the spirometry carried out at routine appointments).

We may update your chest x-ray and also arrange any additional routine tests you require. We will normally take a set of blood tests.

We will update your 6 minute walk test - please wear shoes suitable for exercising in!

Glucose Tolerance Tests (GTT)

People with cystic fibrosis may go on to develop CF diabetes - regular screening for this condition helps us to identify people who may benefit from further advice or treatment for their blood sugar.

Every few years we will offer you an appointment to carry out an oral glucose tolerance test. This involves having a sugary drink (the nurses provide this) and then using finger prick tests to check your blood sugar levels at several intervals.

For these appointments we will ask you to attend having fasted from midnight the night before. The test can take several hours from start to finish so you may wish to bring a book or other entertainment with you.

Drop In Attendances

On rare occasions you may need to be seen urgently outwith normal clinic times, for example if you become unwell or if you require additional physiotherapy support.

At these times you might only see one or two members of the team.

These visits may take place in one of the clinic rooms or you may be seen in one of the wards.

These appointments are not meant to replace routine clinic visits - we would still like to see you when you are well to ensure any problems have settled down.