What is Lymphoedema?
Lymphoedema is a chronic swelling that can affect anywhere in the body and is due to the failure of lymph drainage. It is essentially an accumulation of lymph in the tissue spaces due arising from a congenitally determined abnormality of from damage to the lymphatic structures. It is essentially incurable but major symptoms, namely swelling and cellulitis can be improved and controlled.
How does lymphoedema occur?
What are the signs and symptoms of lymphoedema?
How is lymphoedema treated?
Meet the lymphoedema team
The role of the lymphoedema specialist
Useful links
About Us
Birmingham Community Health Care Lymphoedema service consists of a team of clinical of Nurse Specialists experienced in the prevention, treatment and management of lymphoedema. The service provides care for patients in a clinic environment, domiciliary visit or hospital environment as deemed necessary.
How to refer
Referral to the service requires a health professional referral and uses an agreed standard for triaging referrals and allocating appointments.
Our Vision
The lymphoedema service aims to ensure that every person at risk of or with lymphoedema receives an accurate diagnosis, the correct advice, and optimum level of care.
What do we do?
- Identify people at risk of or with lymphoedema to ensure that patients receive high quality education and life long care.
- Empower people at risk of or with lymphoedema to take control of their condition.
- Work to agreed standards for comprehensive ongoing assessment, planning, education, advice, treatment and monitoring.
- Provide high quality clinical care for people with cellulitis.
- Provide compression garments for people with and where warranted at risk of lymphoedema.
- Refer any people at risk of or with lymphoedema for multi-agency support from health and social services when required.
- Work in partnership with other health care providers to ensure that all patients’ needs are met.
Contact and Referral
GPs and other professionals wishing to refer to the service should download the referral form by clicking this link.
Lymphoedema referral criteria
When complete, fax it to the appropriate number for your locality below.
