I am a PA working in respiratory medicine. During the coronavirus pandemic I am working across both primary and secondary care as part of a community respiratory team who manage patients with chronic respiratory conditions such as COPD, asthma and bronchiectasis.

I am currently assessing these patients via telephone consultations and deciding whether they can be managed safely at home. I work closely with a team of Specialist Respiratory Nurses and Physiotherapists, who will provide home visits should they be necessary. The home visits are either undertaken via our rapid response respiratory car, with a trained paramedic, or a home visit within 2 hours with a nurse or physio.

In secondary care, I work on a COVID-19 respiratory ward managing acutely unwell patients. This involves a daily ward round where I prepare ward round notes, assess patients, perform diagnostic procedures and request and interpret diagnostic studies. These patients can often require complex interventions, such as CPAP or even intubation. For these patients I have utilised my skills in the application of non-invasive ventilation for appropriate management and care. I feel that the skills I have acquired working in respiratory medicine have been of value in both care settings and I will continue to work as a core member of the team in the coming weeks.