Ten Top tips for improving respiratory services

PCRS has published a new resource to help Primary Care Network clinical directors improve local respiratory services.

Written by PCRS Service Development Committee member Stuart Shields, a GP and commissioner, the document sets out ten top tips that will enable commissioners to get the most out of investing in respiratory services.

It offers advice on using data, how to work out what needs to be done and who is going to deliver the changes.

The article discusses the legal implications of sharing data, accessing records, prescribing and treating respiratory patients on behalf of the group and how to map strategies against a population.

Finally it addresses the need to plan for the resources that will be required, not forgetting to include patient groups in these calculations and how to monitor and evaluate the performance of the project.

Stuart says: "Primary care networks need to think about population management. For this to help practices there needs to be live data and local data which can be used to deliver meaningful, effective care that reduces workload and illness.

“This article gives guidance ranging from environmental measures right through to palliative care and is intended to help clinical directors succeed in this new way of working"