Dr Matthew Knight is a Consultant Respiratory Physician with over 20 years’ clinical experience in both NHS and independent practice. He specialises in the assessment of complex or unexplained respiratory symptoms, particularly in patients who remain symptomatic despite prior investigation or treatment. He leads the specialist complex asthma service at West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, including caring for patients with both asthma and COPD on biologics.
His practice focuses on clear diagnosis, objective physiological assessment, and structured, evidence-based management plans, particularly in diagnostically challenging cases. A significant proportion of both his NHS and private practice involves caring for patients whose initial tests were “normal”, without a clear diagnosis.
Dr Knight manages the full spectrum of adult respiratory disease, with particular expertise in unexplained breathlessness, chronic cough, recurrent chest infections, complex asthma (including work-up for biologics) and sleep-disordered breathing.
Clinical expertise
Unexplained breathlessness and CPET
Diagnostic assessment using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET, also called CPEX) to help distinguish cardiac, respiratory and other causes of breathlessness. This is particularly valuable when standard investigations are normal or inconclusive. Alongside CPET, patients have access to full lung function testing, CT scanning, blood and allergy testing.
CPET can help distinguish between:
- cardiac causes
- respiratory causes
- deconditioning
- dysfunctional breathing
Complex asthma and airway disease
Management of difficult-to-control asthma, including optimisation of inhaled therapies, assessment of airway inflammation and phenotype, and initiation and supervision of biologic therapies.
Chronic cough and recurrent chest infections
Structured evaluation of persistent cough and recurrent infections, with a focus on identifying treatable traits and avoiding unnecessary long-term medication. Where medicines are needed, options are discussed after assessment.
Sleep medicine
Assessment and management of snoring and sleep fragmentation, daytime fatigue and obstructive sleep apnoea, including home sleep studies and personalised treatment strategies.
Research, innovation and leadership
Dr Knight was awarded an MBE in 2020 for services to the NHS, recognising his role in developing early Virtual COVID Ward models and remote monitoring pathways.
He is Chief Medical Officer and Responsible Officer at Medefer, where he leads work on digital pathways, clinical governance and technology-enabled care delivery. His work focuses on how data, remote monitoring and AI-supported systems can safely extend specialist care beyond hospital settings.
Selected academic contributions
Dr Knight has published in journals including The BMJ and The Lancet, with a focus on respiratory disease, digital health and service innovation. Key publications include:
- “Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care” – The BMJ
- “Real-World Outcomes from 2905 Episodes of Hospital at Home Care: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study” – Frontiers in Digital Health (2026)
- “Ambulatory management of primary spontaneous pneumothorax” – The Lancet
He has also contributed expert evidence on Long COVID to the UK House of Lords. A full publication list is available via his Google Scholar and ResearchGate profiles.
Background and training
Dr Knight qualified from University College London and completed specialist respiratory training within the North West Thames programme, including the Royal Brompton, Hammersmith, Harefield and Royal Free hospitals. He holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Allergy from Imperial College London and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.