31st March 2020
The UK’s specialist pulmonary hypertension centres are here to offer support, advice and guidance during this coronavirus pandemic.
Many face-to face-consultations have moved to telephone ones and you will be contacted by phone over the next few weeks if you have an upcoming appointment.
We particularly want to emphasise that as a patient with pulmonary hypertension you are at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.
Therefore, all pulmonary hypertension centres agree that you should adopt the practice of ‘shielding’. This asks you to consider undertaking additional protective measures - including staying at home at all times and avoiding any face-to-face contact for a period of at least 12 weeks.
Details of what this means can be found here
This advice is supported by all the UK PH centres and endorsed by the PHA UK.
If you are on Bosentan, Ambrisentan or Macitentan we would suggest that if your liver blood test has been okay then we leave the testing for three months.
We all understand that social isolation, reduction in physical activity, unpredictability and changes in routine can all contribute to increasing stress.
The situation is constantly evolving and as well as the PHA UK website, for the best information you should go to the following websites:
If you live in England: click here
If you live in Scotland: click here
If you live in Wales: click here
If you live in Northern Ireland: click here
We are confident that this outbreak will pass and that we will get through this together. Stay safe.
From the teams at the UK’s specialist pulmonary hypertension centres within the following hospitals:
Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Freeman Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, Mater Hospital, Royal Papworth Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospital, ,Royal Free Hospital, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital
