In this article first published in Primary Care Respiratory Update (Dec 2016) Bronwen Thompson, Noel Baxter, Carol Stonham and Kevin Gruffydd-Jones discuss the latest results of the COPD audit  managed in primary care in Wales.

Based on the press release issued by NICE, it appears that much of the content of the draft guideline reinforces and is consistent with the BTS/SIGN guideline on asthma management which was  updated in September 2016 (see

A primary care perspective of the changes to the 2016 BTS/SIGN British Asthma Guideline together with details of the summary of diagnostic tests from the guideline 

The report says first line rescue care and treatment for children suffering from acute wheezing and asthma is generally working extremely well in hospitals.  Overall, children are receiving the right treatments, and admission to paediatric intensive care is only needed in a very small propor

Special Features Editor’s Round-Up Hilary Pinnock Chair’s Perspective Noel Baxter Fit for the Future: a holistic approach to respiratory care: 2016 conference round-up Francesca Robinson

The report, which follows publication of a Welsh primary care audit report last month, combines publically available data from 2014-15 for England w

The UK Inhaler Group (UKIG), of which PCRS-UK is a member, is calling for an official ‘blue’ colour code convention to be introduced for inhaled reliever medications.

While the National COPD audit has been running for several years, this is the first report based on primary care data to be published.

In this article for Primary Care Respiratory Update, Jackie Dale describes how her inadvertent attendance at a PCRS affiliated group leaders meeting led to the formation of the South Yorkshire Respiratory Group and successful meetings and events.

In this article for Primary Care Respiratory Update Fran Robinson talks to Sonia Simkins, Practice Manager in Rowley Regis on her innovative in-house stop smoking clinic which has helped free up clinical time and reduce unplanned admissions.  

In this article for Primary Care Respiratory Update Noel Baxter discusses why a carbon monoxide test is an essential part of a GP and practice nurse's kit.

Fran Robinson talks to the PCRS-UK Tobacco Dependency Campaign Group about the role of the healthcare professional in treating tobacco dependency as a long-term relapsing condition that starts in childhood.

The number of smokers in England has fallen to its lowest level, with just one in six adults (17%) now lighting up, according to the latest DATA from Public Health England.

The updated British Asthma Guideline has been published today on British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) websites. This update has focused on the chapters on diagnosis and pharmacological therapy.

Here Steph Wolfe provides valuable advice on the diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis.  This article was first published in the June 2015 edition of Primary Care Respiratory Update.