Oxygen therapy is given to patients who have low oxygen levels in their blood. When you are unwell, your oxygen levels might be lower than usual and some patients will be given oxygen therapy to help them as they recover.

As you get better your oxygen levels often get better and we can reduce or stop your oxygen therapy. Some patients will need to have oxygen therapy permanently.

Whilst you are on the Virtual ward we will be assessing whether you can reduce or stop oxygen therapy or whether you will need it permanently. We call this oxygen weaning.

Whilst you are on the virtual ward you will measure your oxygen levels using a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter is painless monitor that clips on your finger. We often refer to the results as your oxygen saturations. You will do this up to three times a day and we will be able to see your results.

Once we are happy that your results are stable we will ask you to measure your oxygen saturations without your oxygen on. We refer to this as “breathing room air” we usually ask you to do this once in the afternoon at 1pm.

How to record your oxygen levels on room air
  • Sit comfortably and relax, turn your oxygen off and stay seated for at least 20 minutes. You mustn’t get up and walk about during this time.
  • If you find it too hard to manage without your oxygen put the monitor on your finger, then restart your oxygen whilst still sitting quietly for 10 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes breathing only room air measure your oxygen levels with your pulse oximeter in the usual way.
  • This reading might be much lower than usual. Do not worry, this will do you no harm.
  • Put your oxygen back on at your usual flow rate.
  • You do not need to recheck your oxygen saturations again until 5pm unless you feel unwell.
  • The virtual ward team will review your results and normally discuss this with you the next day.
Your results

Stopping oxygen therapy can be scary for some patients. The virtual ward team work with the specialist oxygen team to make sure it is safe to stop or reduce your oxygen therapy.

It might take us several attempts over several days or weeks to wean your oxygen, this is normal. Depending on your results, we may ask you to do one of the following;

  • Turn your oxygen down to a lower flow rate
  • Have periods of time during the day without oxygen
  • Stop your oxygen treatment
  • Stop using your oxygen at night

If we have asked you to not use your oxygen and you feel you need to put it back on you must check your oxygen saturations first. This is so we can see if there was a lack of oxygen in your blood causing you to feel the need to put it back on. Some patients develop an attachment to oxygen therapy because it makes them feel safe, but if your oxygen levels are normal there are other things we can do to help you feel safe without oxygen. You must not use oxygen just because you feel breathless. Feeling breathless is a normal part of your disease or recovery from your illness and it does not mean that your oxygen levels are low. It is really important that you follow the instructions given regarding your oxygen as too much oxygen can be dangerous for some people.

What happens if I’m still using oxygen when I am discharged from the virtual ward?

When you are discharged from the virtual ward, you will transfer to the care of the Home oxygen service. They will let you know if you should come for some more assessments in their clinic and/or they may come to see you at home.

If you have any questions about your oxygen, you can ring either the Virtual ward team or the oxygen team

Virtual ward 016973 66631

Oxygen team 016973 66601

Confidentiality

‘The Trust’s vision is to keep your information safe in our hands.’ We promise to use your information fairly and legally, and in-line with local and national policies. You have a right to understand how your information is used and you can request a copy of the information we hold about you at any time.

For further information on confidentiality contact the Information Governance Team:

Information.Governance@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 603961

Feedback

We appreciate and encourage feedback, which helps us to improve our services. If you have any comments, compliments or concerns to make about your care, please contact the Patient, Advice & Liaison Service:

pals@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 814008 or 01946 523818

If you would like to raise a complaint regarding your care, please contact the Complaints Department:

complaints@ncic.nhs.uk | 01228 936302