Publish date: 26 November 2025
We are proud to be the first Trust in the region to introduce a direct pathway for children and young person’s spirometry which is helping to improve the diagnosis and management of asthma and other respiratory conditions in children aged six and above.
Spirometry is a simple, non-invasive breathing test that measures how well the lungs are working by assessing the amount of air a person can exhale, and how quickly. It is an important tool for diagnosing and monitoring respiratory conditions such as asthma.
The service launched earlier this year at the Island’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at St Mary’s Hospital and has already provided access to diagnostic testing within six weeks to 91 young people. Previously, children had to wait to see a consultant before they could have a spirometry test, which often led to long delays. The new CDC pathway means that children without complex needs can now have the test straight away, helping GPs to diagnose conditions sooner and continue care closer to home.
Vicky Lauchlan, Chief Operating Officer, Isle of Wight NHS Trust said: “We are committed to bringing high-quality diagnostics closer to home, and this new children’s spirometry service is a powerful example of that. By enabling earlier and more accurate diagnosis, we can support families sooner, reduce the uncertainty that often comes with waiting for answers, and help children receive the care they need to stay well. This development strengthens our wider ambitions to improve access to timely diagnostics for our Island community, ensuring more people get the right tests at the right time.”
Ten-year-old Toby was referred by his GP to the CDC for a spirometry test after experiencing occasional shortness of breath. In the past, Toby has needed to travel to Southampton for other tests, so being able to attend the CDC just minutes from home and school has been a significant benefit for both Toby and his mum, Kayleigh.
Toby's appointment took around an hour, and the results will now be analysed and sent to his GP to inform the next steps in Toby’s care.
Kayleigh, Toby’s mum said: “Today has been amazing. Travelling just 10 minutes down the road has been so convenient for us and everyone at the hospital has been really lovely, it’s fantastic.”
In April, Toby had the misfortune of breaking his little finger and Mum Kayleigh couldn’t be more positive about the treatment that Toby received from the team at the CDC. Kayleigh added: “...the CDC is a wonderful addition and resource for the Island.”
Dr Tracy Jones, Consultant Clinical Scientist Respiratory and Sleep Respiratory at St. Mary's Hospital said: “We are proud to have started the new children’s spirometry pathway here on the island - the first in the HIOW region. With 20,000 children every year being admitted to hospital in England with poorly controlled asthma, the new service at the island’s CDC that is supported by trained staff will provide help provide children with an accurate diagnosis and support the development of the best possible care management plan.”
Working with the Isle of Wight Youth Forum, the team at St Mary’s co-designed a children’s experience survey and information leaflet to make the service more child-friendly and feedback from the group has also led to improvements in the paediatric waiting area, including plans to introduce an educational touch table for older children.
Abi Metcalfe, Youth Chair of the IOW NHS Youth Forum said: “The youth forum had the opportunity to work with the CDC to provide a young person’s perspective on the service and we were pleased to share our views on how to make the waiting room more child-friendly as well as suggest amendments to patient advice sheets to make them more accessible and child focused.”
To support the new service, the Respiratory Physiology Team has completed specialist paediatric training and paediatric life support to ensure the highest standards of care is provided.
Celebrating one year of the Community Diagnostic Centre
Since opening in November 2024, the CDC has provided thousands of diagnostic appointments and supported earlier detection of health conditions including 29,695 X-rays, 10,458 ultrasounds, 1,885 echocardiograms, and nearly 4,000 ambulatory cardiac monitoring devices fitted and analysed, alongside welcoming over 24,000 patients through its reception.
The centre has also supported 7,963 orthopaedic consultations and 8,595 fracture clinic appointments, all underpinned by a growing specialist workforce, with eight physiologists now fully qualified and more currently in training across respiratory and cardiology services.
Earlier this year a new service launched to support patients experiencing postmenopausal bleeding on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) which is offering faster, more efficient testing with the aim of reducing unnecessary invasive procedures.
