Oxygen therapy

Permission to use oxygen therapy is only granted where a health care professional has prescribed oxygen. A safety assessment also needs to be carried out first.

Using oxygen safely

Do

• Install fire alarms and smoke detectors in your home and make sure they are working
• Tell your local fire brigade, and if you are a council tenant, inform your local housing office, that you have oxygen at home
• Keep your device at least three metres away from any appliances that use an open flame, such as a gas cooker or gas fire
• Keep your device at least 1.5 metres away from other electric appliances, such as a television, hair dryer or electric heater

Do not

• Smoke, or let anyone smoke near you, when using your device – also smoking will make your oxygen therapy far less effective
• Use flammable liquids, such as cleaning fluid, paint thinner or aerosols when using your device
• Use oil-based emollients, such as Vaseline, when using your device

Further information

For more information on oxygen therapy, please visit the NHS website.