Thoracic patient journey

An expert team of specialists look after our thoracic patients, ensuring early access to prompt and appropriate treatment.

This team includes chest physicians (lung specialists), oncologists (cancer specialists), radiologists and thoracic (chest) surgeons, nurses (including Macmillan cancer support nurses), anaesthetists and a range of other professionals including physiotherapists and pharmacists.

How can I be referred?

Most of our patients are referred for surgery by chest specialists in their local hospital, although some referrals come directly from General Practitioners.

If you think you may require chest surgery, please discuss this with your doctor in the first instance.

Where will my clinic visits and surgery take place?

As we serve a large area, outreach clinics take place every week in hospitals across the west of Scotland to reduce the distance many patients travel.

This means that you may see one of our surgeons in your local hospital before surgery. If this is the case, you will normally have your follow up visits there also if these are required – this will depend upon your procedure and your individual recovery.

Your surgery will take place at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital. However, our surgeons also work in other hospitals to provide cover for chest trauma at local emergency departments, and lung transplant donor operations.

During your stay

Patients will normally be accommodated in their own single room throughout their stay, including any time spent in the high dependency unit.

Visiting times*
4 West 2.30pm-4.30pm
6.30pm-8.30pm

HDU3 2.30pm-4.30pm (excluding protected mealtime from 6.30pm-8pm)
Some accommodation for families may be available by arrangement in the adjoining The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre depending on distance and individual circumstances.

*Visiting times vary for different wards and units. They are available from the nurse in charge of the area.

Smoking cessation

Cigarette smoking causes various chest diseases and is the most important preventable cause of lung cancer. If you smoke and need help in quitting, please speak to a member of staff for advice on where you can receive support or visit www.canstopsmoking.com for links to the range of available services.

Who does the department work with?

The department works closely with chest medicine units in hospitals across the west of Scotland and beyond; attending cancer meetings to discuss treatment plans for patients in many hospitals.

Some cancer patients will require chemotherapy or radiotherapy as part of their treatment. Although these services are not provided at the Golden Jubilee, patients requiring these treatments will be cared for at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow, approximately 20 minutes away by car.

The thoracic team is involved in the routine collection of data such as cancer waiting times and rates of hospital acquired infection. The team contributes annual data on our surgical activity to the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) annual thoracic returns database.