Lymphoedema Service
This service offers treatment and advice to patients over the age of 18, who are suffering from oedema or swelling due to an impairment in their lymphatic system.
What does this service provide?
Who we are
We are a team of lymphoedema practitioners who have highly specialist knowledge and training to diagnose and treat lymphoedema.
What we do
Lymphoedema can occur in any part of the body and we see any patient regardless of where the oedema is.
One of the most effective treatments we offer uses compression garments or wraps. We also use other specialist equipment to treat a range of conditions that can arise together with the oedema. Please see the NHS Lymphoedema link for further information. Please be aware that the link gives general information and not all the causes and treatments will be relevant to every person.
Our primary focus is always our patients, and we tailor our treatment choices, care plans and goals to meet your individual needs and capabilities.
We work in collaboration with community nurses, GP surgeries and tissue viability teams alongside wider members of the multi-disciplinary teams. Our aim is to enable our patients to confidently self-manage their lymphoedema as it is a lifelong condition.
Appointment information
We offer face to face appointments and telephone follow up appointments. We plan to introduce virtual appointments in the future.
We send SMS alerts with appointment dates as well as or instead of appointment letters. We send SMS appointment reminders the day before your appointment.
Who you'll see
Your appointment will be with our lymphoedema practitioners who have highly specialist knowledge and training to diagnose and treat lymphoedema. Any compression treatment required will be commenced via the clinics and subsequently managed through your GP surgery.
Your first visit to the lymphoedema service will consist of an assessment which will take approximately 1–2 hours. Please feel free to bring a friend or relative with you for support. At this appointment the reason for the referral will be discussed alongside any relevant medical history and we will go through your current medications. We will explain what lymphoedema is and why we think you have developed the condition. We will assess your swelling, and if appropriate, take measurements. You may need to undress for us to be able to assess the oedema so please wear appropriate clothing. If you present with lower limb oedema, we may also listen to the pulses in your feet with a hand held doppler. All this information will aid us in our diagnosis. If compression garments or wraps are a treatment option, we have samples we can show you. We can also demonstrate how to perform simple passive exercises and lymphatic drainage to help to offload some of the oedema. We will listen to all your concerns and answer any questions you may have. Written information is available to reiterate the advice discussed at the appointment and you will receive a copy of the initial assessment letter.
After your initial assessment, a fitting appointment or follow up appointment will be arranged as necessary. At the fitting appointment you will be shown how to safely apply and remove the prescribed compression garments. At a follow up appointment we will discuss how you have been managing your treatment plan and we will reassess the oedema and may remeasure to see if there has been a volume reduction. Different treatment options can be discussed and implemented if required. We offer telephone follow up appointments if patients prefer. Our primary aim is to support you with learning self-management strategies to take control of your lymphoedema.
Once your treatment has been optimised you will be referred back into the care of your GP and a copy of your treatment plan will be included in your GP discharge letter. Patients can phone for advice and self-refer back into the service for up to a year post discharge if their condition changes and they feel they need reassessing.
How can I access this service?
Anyone who meets the following referral criteria can be referred by any healthcare professional using our referral form:
- adults with palliative and non-palliative lymphoedema of greater than three months duration which is not resolved by bed rest or diuretics and no identified major medical causes of swelling
- adults with chronic oedema of more than three months’ duration that has not resolved with bed rest or diuretics and where there are no other identified major medical causes for the swelling
Adults with oedema from active leg ulceration will be managed as a shared care patient with a community nursing team, practice nursing team, leg ulcer, podiatry, vascular or tissue viability service.
Any patient who has a serious heart, lung, liver, or kidney condition that has not been properly investigated to establish the cause of their oedema, requires referral on for an urgent medical assessment prior to their referral to the service.
Any patient with unilateral limb swelling where other diagnoses such as the following have not been excluded should first be referred to an appropriate medical specialist to clarify the diagnosis, before referral is made to the lymphoedema service:
- acute deep vein thrombosis
- arthritis
- ruptured Bakers cyst and lymphatic or vascular obstruction due to undiagnosed new or recurrent malignancy
Any patient with active cellulitis requires treatment prior to referral.
Any health care professional wishing to refer to the service can contact the lymphoedema service by email or phone and we can email a copy of the referral form to them.
Where can I access this service?
The Lymphoedema Service covers the whole of Coastal West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.
Appointments will be allocated at the first available site given the priority of your referral. We will endeavour to book your appointment at the clinic nearest to your place of residence, however this may not always be possible.
Where can I find resources for this service?
The Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) – registered charity and the UK's national patient support organisation for those living with or affected by lymphoedema. Their website includes information and education to support self-management.
Brighton and Hove Lymphoedema Support Group – please email
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Get the best from your NHS
If you need advice about our services, facilities or staff, or would like to make a comment, please contact Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS).
Contact details
You can contact PALS by the following:
Telephone: 01273 242 292Email: sc-tr.pals@nhs.net
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