The National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme (NACAP) has launched registration for its pulmonary rehabilitation workstream.

Researcher Leah Jayes, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Nottingham, is seeking respiratory interested healthcare professionals to help with a British Lung Foundation funded study into osteoporosis and fracture risk in patients with COPD.

Offering personalised interventions to high risk patients with COPD to enhance their inhaler technique could both improve health outcomes and save around £748 a year, say researchers.

Two important new NICE consultations on new COPD guidance have been published.

Chronic lung disease is a common and growing problem in Africa affecting around 1 in 8 adults. The main forms are COPD, asthma and post TB lung disease.

Developed by the PCRS Service Development Committee, the Respiratory Service Framework (RSF) helps those looking to design a patient focussed respiratory service working across all sectors of out of hospital care to see the ideal components for a given population of patients.

In this article from Primary Care Respiratory Update, Spring 2018, Fran Robinson, discusses the use of rescue packs with Dr John Hurst, Honorary Consultant at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Reader in Respiratory Medicine at University College (UCL) London.

PCRS-UK has published an algorithm to identify people with COPD who might benefit from inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) treatment and those in whom it may not be appropriate. It also offers an approach to withdrawing ICS in patients in whom it is not needed.

Second Opinion.  Your respiratory questions answered… This question was posted by a PCRS-UK member and is answered by Dr Iain Small and Dr Vince Mak.

This guide provides an algorithm to identify people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who might benefit from ICS treatment and those in whom it may not be appropriate, and an approach to withdrawing ICS in patients in whom it is not needed.   The gui

In this Chair's Perspective from the Spring 2017 edition of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Dr Noel Baxter discusses the importance of early and accurate diagnosis for respiratory conditions.

NHS RightCare, an NHS England supported programme committed to delivering the best care to patients as efficiently as possible, has published a pathway for COPD.

The report reveals that:

It also reveals that the many cost-effective and high value ways to help treat and manage COPD, including providing flu jabs, supporting patients to live smoke free, and physical activity and supported self-management programmes, are under used.

In these two articles from the December 2017 issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Dr Andrew Whittamore (Asthma UK) and Mr Mike McKevitt (British Lung Foundation) discuss tools and services available to support self-management in long term respiratory conditions.