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Sleep apnoea care for Richmond residents

Update on a proposal to change how sleep apnoea care is provided for Richmond residents

After carefully considering the feedback from recent engagement, alongside clinical, financial and quality assessments, NHS South West London has decided that Richmond patients who need obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) services should receive their care through the existing South West London respiratory services which include OSA provided by St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (St George’s). This change will support more joined-up care and reduce differences in services, while making better use of available resources. 
 
As a result, we will not be renewing the contract for the Sleeping Disorders Centre. Patients who currently use the Richmond obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) service provided by the Sleeping Disorders Centre will be supported to transfer to the service at St George’s and will receive direct communications about this in the coming months. 

Patients receiving care from other providers will not be affected. 

The feedback from the engagement has given us valuable insight into people’s experiences of care and what’s important to them, including how any change might affect Richmond OSA service patients.  

What people have told us they value about the current Richmond OSA service has influenced our plans – please see details below. We will work with both providers and GP practice colleagues to plan for a safe transfer for current Sleeping Disorder Centre patients to St George’s.  

  • Remote care will continue to form a core part of the service, where clinically appropriate. 
  • We will work with the Sleeping Disorders Centre to ensure that patients are regularly updated during the transition process – with early and clear communication about what is happening, particularly related to equipment quality and continuity of monitoring.  
  • There will be support for people who need it most, including help with transport for those eligible.  
  • Through transition planning we will work to consider continuity of care, for example through effective transfer and use of patient records and having consistent points of contact. 
  • We will also look at ways to support local access to care and reduce travel where possible.  

Patients currently using the Richmond OSA service will receive information in the coming months explaining how their care will transfer to St George’s with no gaps in treatment. It will also explain who to contact if they have any questions.  

Patients on the wait list for the Richmond OSA service will receive information about their options and who they can discuss these with.  They may choose to transfer to the wait list at St George’s or consider alternative options under the NHS Choice Framework. 

Key reasons for the decision:  

  • The current sleep apnoea service model is not consistent across South West London, with Richmond operating a standalone service while other boroughs use integrated pathways. This creates variation in access, experience and how care is delivered.   
  • The approach will align Richmond with the wider South West London model, support more joined-up care and reduce variation, while making better use of available resources.   
  • This change is intended to improve access to established pathways and support the management of rising demand for services across South West London.  

How we are responding to the key findings from the engagement

Remote care and access - patients see remote appointments as important in maintaining access to the service, particularly for those with caring responsibilities, work commitments or mobility challenges.  Remote care will continue to form a core part of the service, where clinically appropriate.  

Continuity of care - patients value continuity, particularly where clinicians understand their history and circumstances. Through transition planning we will consider continuity of care, for example through effective transfer and use of patient records and having consistent points of contact. 

Travel and local access, particularly for those most vulnerable - travel has been identified as a potential barrier, particularly for some patient groups.   We will explore opportunities to support local access to care, if possible, alongside practical measures that reduce the need for travel. Clear information on available options will be provided. During the transition period we would ensure that there will be support for people who need it most, including help with transport for those eligible. 

Timely and responsive support - patients associate timely responses and access to equipment with feeling safe in their care.  We will consider how we maintain this responsiveness, including clarity around expected response times and escalation routes, particularly during the transition. 

Equipment quality and reliability - patients rely heavily on equipment as part of their treatment and expressed concerns about any disruption.  We will ensure that any future arrangements will provide reassurance around equipment quality, continuity of monitoring, and support during any changes. Early and clear communication will be provided to reduce uncertainty for patients. 

Communication and follow-up - patients value clear, consistent communication and regular follow-up.  We will review how information is provided, including clarity on next steps, timelines, and how patients can access support. This will include working with the Sleeping Disorders Centre to ensure that Richmond OSA service patients are regularly updated during the transition process.  

Transparency and engagement - some patients have expressed concerns about how the proposed changes have been communicated. We acknowledge this feedback and will look at how to strengthen transparency and improve communication going forward.  

Engagement process

During February and March 2026 we ran an engagement exercise about a proposal to change how sleep apnoea care is provided for Richmond residents. We wanted to understand what people think works well about the current services; views on the proposed change and its impact and what could help patients transfer to St George’s if this were to go ahead. 

A total of 275 responses were received through online forms, telephone support, and paper submissions, supported by communications from GP practices directly to patients (approximately 2000), via local partners and on social media. A key audience for the engagement was patients of the Richmond OSA service, but we also invited other Richmond residents receiving care from alternative providers to take part as well. 

Engagement feedback

Read the Richmond sleep apnoea care engagement report

Contact us

If patients have queries or concerns, they should contact our Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS).

0800 026 6082
[email protected]

Background 

The current sleep apnoea service model is not the same across South West London.

In Richmond, some people receive their care from a stand-alone service the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) Service provided by a private provider the Sleeping Disorders Centre. Others along with residents in Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Sutton, and Wandsworth are seen by the service at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (St George’s). 

Our proposal was to align NHS sleep apnoea care in Richmond to the rest of South West London. This would mean that in future Richmond residents would have the same options for sleep apnoea treatment as people in the other five boroughs: to receive their care through the existing South West London respiratory/OSA model of care provided by St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (St George’s) in addition to alternatives available under the NHS Choice Framework. 

The information below was used during the engagement and is included here as background information.

Why we are proposing this change

As the NHS organisation responsible for planning services across South West London we regularly assess how services are organised to make sure services are consistent, high quality and that we make the best use of our resources in a sustainable way.  

We are proposing to bring care and resources together with a single provider – St George’s – already commissioned to provide respiratory services including sleep apnoea for all residents in South West London.  

St George’s would increase the capacity within their service to ensure they could accommodate additional patients. This would allow better coordination of the total resources across South West London to deliver more consistent wait times and prioritise patients based on clinical need.  

This would mean: 

  • More joined up care – if patients need to see another specialist, the St George’s team can refer them directly within their respiratory services without having to go back to the GP first.  
  • Better communication – patient notes could be shared more easily between hospital teams and GPs, helping everyone involved including patients and carers to stay informed.  
  • More consistent care – everyone across South West London would get care in the same way, and St George’s could use shared resources in a fair way to reduce waiting lists. 

What would change

We are proposing that St George’s becomes the lead commissioned provider for sleep apnoea treatment in South West London.  

For current sleep apnoea patients of the Sleeping Disorders Centre, your care would move to St George’s. 

Some appointments may change from being remote to a mix of face to face and remote visits, depending on patients’ clinical needs. This may mean you need to travel for some clinical appointments. You would be provided with new equivalent CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) equipment by St George’s. This would be discussed with you and fitted during your first appointment.  

Who would be affected

I’m a sleep apnoea patient with the Sleeping Disorders Centre, what does this mean for me?

If the proposal goes ahead your care would transfer to the sleep apnoea team at St George’s. We would work closely with teams to make sure your care continues smoothly, with no gaps in treatment.    

  • You would be invited to a face-to-face appointment with the St George’s team to review your condition and fit new equivalent equipment. This appointment would either be at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Roehampton or St George’s Hospital in Tooting. 
  • You would be provided with information about the support telephone line and details about receiving consumables for CPAP in the post each year. 
  • If your condition is assessed as stable, you would have a follow up appointment within six months, either in person or by phone depending on your condition. 
  • You would then have a one year follow up appointment, either in person or by phone depending on your condition.
  • If your condition changes and requires you to see another specialist, you would be referred to the most appropriate team within St George’s respiratory services.  

I’m currently on the wait list for a sleep apnoea assessment with the Sleeping Disorders Centre, what does it mean for me? 

We know that people have been waiting some time to be seen by the Sleeping Disorders Centre. This is because NHS South West London has only contracted the Sleeping Disorders Centre for a set amount of activity, based on what is affordable. This means that the Sleeping Disorders Centre cannot see more patients than the set amount of activity agreed in the contract. 

The St George’s service is already commissioned to provide sleep apnoea treatment for all residents in South West London including Richmond residents and is therefore available to patients on the waiting list.  

If the proposal goes ahead, we would contact you to discuss your options. You may choose to transfer to the St George’s waiting list, or there are alternatives available under the NHS Choices Framework.  

  • If you chose to transfer to the St George’s wait list, based on current waiting times you would be sent a sleep study to complete at home within 6 weeks of St George’s receiving your referral. 
  • Once the sleep study has been completed you would have an appointment with a consultant to discuss your results and possible treatment options. This could be face to face or by phone, depending on your clinical condition. Depending on the outcome you would be either referred for CPAP therapy, to another respiratory team or discharged. 
  • For non-urgent cases based on current wait times you would start CPAP treatment within 9 months of the sleep study. However, if you are assessed as an urgent case for CPAP, then you would start your CPAP treatment within approximately two months of the sleep study.  

I’m a sleep apnoea patient with another healthcare provider, what does this mean for me?

We know that there are patients registered with a Richmond GP who are receiving NHS care for their sleep apnoea from other healthcare providers. If this proposal goes ahead your care would not be affected.

What does sleep apnoea treatment involve 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a condition where your breathing stops and starts during sleep, stopping air from reaching the lungs. This can lead to several health problems. OSA is diagnosed with an overnight sleep study, that can be done in clinic or at home and records breathing and sleep patterns while the patient sleeps. Some people may need to use a device called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine which gently pumps air into a mask you wear while you sleep. 

Frequently asked questions