Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) Pathway

About ILD

This is a group of conditions that can cause inflammation or scarring of the lungs. These conditions can affect breathing over time. 
Our aim is to provide early diagnosis, careful monitoring and personalised treatment to support your long-term lung health.
The ILD pathway at Hillingdon Hospital is led by Dr Harpreet Lota, consultant respiratory physician.

Our approach to your care

We provide comprehensive care locally, while working closely with regional specialist centres when needed.

This means:

  • most of your care is delivered at Hillingdon Hospital
  • you benefit from access to specialist expertise for complex cases
  • your care remains coordinated and consistent.

Our specialist ILD clinic

We run a dedicated specialist ILD clinic with a focused administrative team.

This helps ensure:

  • continuity of care with the same clinical team
  • efficient coordination of appointments and tests
  • a clear point of contact for any queries

Tests and investigations

Most tests needed to diagnose and monitor ILD are carried out locally.

Imaging

  • high-resolution CT scans
  • chest X-rays

These help us look closely at the structure of your lungs.

Lung function tests

  • detailed breathing tests to measure lung capacity and monitor changes over time
  • a six-minute walk test
  • a bronchoscopy, if required
  • a camera test to look inside the airways and, in some cases, take samples.

Blood tests

Specialist blood tests may be used to:

  • identify underlying causes
  • screen for autoimmune or inflammatory conditions

Specialist partnership

For more complex cases, we work closely with the Royal Brompton Hospital ILD team and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) review

Your case may be discussed in a specialist MDT, involving:

  • respiratory consultants
    radiologists
    pathologists
    ILD experts

This ensures that your diagnosis and treatment plan are based on expert consensus.

Coordinated care

  • your day-to-day care and follow-up remain at Hillingdon
  • specialist advice is integrated into your local care plan
  • you benefit from expertise across both centres

Ongoing care and follow-up

ILD often requires long-term monitoring. We will:

  • review you regularly in clinic
  • monitor your lung function and symptoms
  • adjust treatment as needed.

We will also support you with:

  • symptom management
  • advice on activity and wellbeing
  • access to additional support services where appropriate.

Contact us

If you have questions about your appointments or care - 01895 279855.

Accessibility

We aim to make your care easy to understand and access, with:

  • clear explanations of your condition and tests
  • support for patients and families
  • translation services available on request.