Patients with respiratory symptoms and disease deserve a correct diagnosis and correct guideline driven care that is standardized, patient focused, delivered by a Health Care Professional (HCP) with suitable training and experience, at a site and within an appropriate timeframe to meet their needs. Sadly, patient groups such as the British Lung Foundation (BLF) and Asthma UK have recognised that too often this is not the case.
Briefing document for National Respiratory Strategies – the NHS Long term plan and Lung Health Taskforce 5 year plan.
Looking beyond the disease
The RSF helps those looking to design a patient focussed respiratory service working across all sectors of out of hospital care
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.
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. Question I attended the PCRS conference in 2016 and there was a presentation by a Physician who was talking about the use of blood eosinophil count as a useful criteria for inhaled corticosteroids use in patients with COPD.
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 guide has been adapted for UK use with permission from the IPCRG.
An excerpt from the December 2016 issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update with Bronwen Thompson in discussion with Monica Fletcher, Chief Executive, Education for Health and PCRS-UK members Dr Stephen Gaduzo and Judith Lawrence on the new certification scheme which aims to raise standards of spirometry for respiratory diagnosis