On the 28th November the joint National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) will publish their long-awaited single guideline on asthma diagnosis, monitoring and management.

This is a high-level summary of what the new BTS/NICE/SIGN Asthma: diagnosis monitoring and chronic asthma management guideline means for you as a primary healthcare professional and what steps you need to take to implement it effectively. 

Antibiotics are crucial for managing infectious diseases and preventing complications like pneumonia or sepsis. However, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a growing global health threat, contributing to over 3 million deaths annually.

Join Frances Barrett (Respiratory Nurse Specialist and PCRS Service Development Committee Member) and Darush Attar-Zadeh (Clinical Fellow Pharmacist and PCRS Executive Committee Member) as they dive into the incredibly important topic of Tobacco Dependency.

2024 marked a pivotal change in the management of asthma in the UK with the publication of a joint British Thoracic Society (BTS), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline.

Over the past 20-years, there has been an increased focus on the use of newer biologic medication in people with severe asthma that is not controlled with usual asthma medication.

Joining Dr Daryl Freeman (PCRS Executive Committee Member, Associate Clinical Director with Norfolk Community Health and Care, and Respiratory ICB Lead for Norfolk and Waveney) on this episode of the PCRS Podcast is Professor Mike Crooks (Professor of Respiratory Medicine at Hull York Medical Sch

In this podcast Dr Fiona Mosgrove (PCRS Education Committee member, GP with special interest in respiratory medicine) is joined by Professor James Chalmers (Asthma and Lung UK Chair of Respiratory Research) to talk about bronchiectasis and in particular the new treatments that are available for t

The UK has the largest market for vapes in Western Europe.

The NHS is under increased financial and environmental pressures. Blanket switching of medications (changing medication from one to another without patient consultation) to more cost-effective and environmentally friendly options is therefore becoming more common. 

This podcast is the perfect opportunity to reflect and consider what behaviour change means to you and your practice.

This year’s conference was a resounding success, cementing its place as a highlight in the PCRS calendar.

The Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) advocates that:

Breathlessness is a common presenting symptom in primary care, and there are many causes.Early and accurate diagnosis is critical to ensuring patients receive the right treatment at the earliest opportunity.

Joining Ren Lawlor (PCRS Executive Vice-Chair and Advanced Nurse Practitioner) in this PCRS podcast episode is Dr Steve Holmes (GP and PCRS Committee Member).