VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK

After taking advice from the NHS and our own medical advisors, we had no alternative but to suspend our sleep apnoea screening service in March.  However, as of 1st October 2020 we have now been able to re-start this service and are currently working through out backlog. You are welcome to make an order to join our waiting list but PLEASE SELECT PAYMENT BY CHEQUE AT CHECKOUT.  We do not need you to make this payment to us until you are near the top of the waiting list so by selecting  'cheque' as the payment option it means that your order can be processed to join our waiting list.

When your turn in our waiting list comes up and we are able to send a testing device to you, we will contact you to finalise the order, make the payment and also instruct you of extra safety precautions in order to protect both you and us against any COVID-19 risks.

PLEASE NOTE:-  The sleep apnoea screening device we now send out is the Stowood Black Flash which is worn around the waist with a finger pulse oximeter attached to the finger and breathing cannulas.  The website will be updated soon fully, but for now we have uploaded an image of the device.

Our screening test is a pre-diagnostic Sleep Apnoea Screening Test for adults who suspect they are sufferers of Sleep Apnoea.  It will provide evidence for people as to whether they need to take further action in arranging a hospital Sleep Study, and/or for their GP's to refer them to a sleep clinic/hospital for an official diagnosis and treatment via the NHS.  Apnoeas, hypopnoeas, low oxygen desaturations and pulse rate will be recorded but this test is not intended to identify the difference kinds of Sleep Apnoea, ie obstructive of central.  It is simply to inform people whether they are in fact suffering from sleep apnoea and in this case will be advised to seek a sleep clinic referral.

It is always advisable people are treated under the supervision of a registered sleep clinician, as there are different variations of Sleep Apnoea which often require more than just a straightforward CPAP machines for good therapy as stated below:-   

• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea which is caused through obstructions when the airways relax.
• Central Sleep Apnoea which is when the brain fails to send messages to breathe.
• Mixed or Complex Sleep Apnoea (which is a mixture of both Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnoea).

More details can be found about the signs and symptoms of both obstructive an central sleep apnoea on our website on this link https://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/sleep-apnoea-information.html

Also, other underlying health conditions can often determine which type of machine people require, which is another reason to be treated by a qualified registered sleep clinican!  (An an example, Kath Hope of Hope2Sleep was started on CPAP, moved to APAP followed by ASV (Adaptive Servo Ventilation) and is now currently on VPAP,  so she is very grateful for being under good care by the NHS).  Therefore, it is not our charity's recommendation that people undertake online sleep studies and purchase machines which are a prescription item for a very good reason.  CPAP machines require prescribing by a qualified sleep clinician.

For people who only wish to check on oxygen desaturations please see the alternative screening test hire which is suitable for people already using CPAP.

This particular test is more accurate for detecting Sleep Apnoea than just a Pulse Oximetry test alone, due to it measuring nasal and mouth breathing, as using pulse oximetry alone as a pre-diagnosis is not always accurate, due to the fact that oxygen desaturations can also happen for other reasons.  Also, not all apnoeas/hypopneas cause oxygen desaturations as often the body fights hard to keep oxygen levels maintained. 

IMPORTANT

Due to the fact this sleep screening test is very popular, sometimes there is a delay before we can send a device out, but you will be added to our waiting list and informed via email or telephone when to expect it and also sent given a tracking number.  

• This Sleep Screening Test is for Adults only.
• You DO NOT need a prescription for this test.
• The results of the test are confidential, and shall not be shared with anybody else.
• This particular test is NOT recommended for people already on CPAP as it would require coming off the treatment, which should only be done under guidance of your sleep clinicians. 
• You can hire the equipment for an extra night  with separate reports created, and do bear in mind that separate nights recordings would rarely show up the exact same results, as Sleep Apnoea varies from night to night, depending on medications taken, certain foods eaten, alcohol consumption, body temperature, allergies, and nasal stuffiness etc.
• Please ensure you use and then return our device promptly, as this slows down the process and is unfair on those waiting.
• You are paying for the loan of the equipment only, and the subsequent reports which will be sent to you, and it must be returned to us via the stamped-addressed recorded delivery packaging provided.  Failure to send back the kit promptly may incur extra charges before the results are sent! 
• We do not ship this item out of the United Kingdom.
• It is always advisable to ensure you are treated under the supervision of a registered sleep doctor for your Sleep Apnoea!
• As stated previously, this is a pre-diagnostic screening test and for any signs of sleep apnoea you will be advised to seek a referral from your local sleep clinic for further investigations.  Whilst several members of our charity's trustee and medical board are qualified to diagnose, our intention is that you be seen face-to-face wherever possible by a sleep qualified doctor.

ORDERS

We try our best to ship all orders received by us Monday-Friday on the same working day if received before 12 noon, and more often than not orders processed before 3 pm will be despatched the same day whenever possible.  Weekend or UK bank holiday orders are sent out the next working day.  An automated email is sent when products have been despatched so please check your spam box and add us to your safe senders list.  Also, if you do not receive an email confirmation, please check that you have typed the correct email address in your account.

All orders are sent via 1st class mail within the UK.  Masks and some other more expensive products are always sent via 'signed for' insured delivery and cannot be left in 'safe' places, but there is the option for an alternative shipping address when processing the orders.   International orders are sent via tracked Airmail, and whilst we're happy to ship internationally, we cannot be held responsible for any charges that may be added in your own country.

Delivery charges are worked out automatically by weight and you can clearly see the delivery charges before purchase.  On the rare occasion delivery charges are miscalculated by the website, a refund will be sent, as it is not our policy to make money on postage charges and neither do we add the cost of delivery into the price and offer so-called  'free delivery' like some sites and Ebay pressurise sellers to do!

Wherever possible with larger parcels, we try to re-use boxes to keep shipping costs down and protect the environment.

If a product is out of stock and the order contains multiple items, the 'in stock' items will be sent immediately and further items will follow upon arrival with no further postage charges incurred.  

RETURNS

Masks and most products cannot be exchanged, unless faulty, due to health and hygiene issues, in accordance with the Consumer Contracts Regulations, (as stated in our 'Terms and Conditions' ) and where you will find our return address, so if you are unsure about any product please contact us BEFORE purchase or BEFORE opening a sealed packet.

Unopened (sealed) products in their original packing can be returned within 14 days for a refund of the product cost, but the purchaser is to pay the return postage, and we would advise retaining proof of postage.  This excludes any faulty goods, for which postage will be reimbursed.  A full refund for the price of the product will be issued when received by us, less the original postage charges when the order was sent to you.