In this short article for Spring 2019 issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update, Carol Stonham and Tricia Bryant reflect on recent advances in digital technology which may help and support affiliated groups to maintain momentum, retain engagement of members and help facilitate virtual meetings to

Respiratory nurse practitioner Carol Stonham will achieve two PCRS firsts when she takes over from Dr Noel Baxter as Executive Chair in September 2019. She will become both the first female and the first nurse leader, reflecting the changing and progressive outlook of PCRS.&nb

Fran Robinson talks to Dr Dayo Kuko on her experience of the PCRS Respiratory Leader Programme and how it has helped her deal with conflict, influence others and gain confidence in her professional role.

This PCRU article features initiatives led by PCRS members around the UK, supported by PCRS programmes and tools. Achieving national spirometry certification in primary and secondary care in wales: a systematic approach.

Your respiratory questions answered… Question: "I want to know more about FeNO and whether we should introduce it in our practice. Where can I find out more about it and how do I create a business case in support of its use?"

In this regular PCRU feature we explore cases of rarer lung conditions and their presentation.

The following article includes a selection of some of the scientific and best practice abstracts presented at the 2018 PCRS National Primary Care Respiratory Conference. Originally published in the Winter 2018 edition of the Primary Care Respiratory Update.

A report from the annual PCRS research workshop for respiratory researchers on 27th September 2018 by Dr Helen Ashdown, GP and PCRS Research Lead. Originally published in the Winter 2018 edition of the Primary Care Respiratory Update.

Fran Robinson reports on the PCRS National Respiratory Conference 2018 "Building confidence in a changing world" held at the Telford International Centre on 28/29 September. Originally published in the Winter 2018 edition of the Primary Care Respiratory Update.

Fran Robinson interviews Dr Noel Baxter, Dr Binita Kane, Dr Georges Ng Man Kwong and Dr Jørgen Vestbo, to discuss their experience of setting up and running multidisciplinary respiratory virtual clinics.

Bronwen Thompson discusses the respiratory long-term plan for England with Professor Mike Morgan, National Clinical Director for Respiratory Disease at NHS England.

Monitoring ICS underuse in asthma and over-reliance on SABA: A sponsored supplement. Improving outcomes in asthma as an inflammatory disease: spotlight on monitoring ICS underuse and over-reliance on SABA: A sponsored supplement.

Q: My patient smokes cigarettes and has a BMI of 43, they drink 45 units of alcohol a week and their physical activity is limited. What should I do first or is it better to tackle all together?

PCRS believe that it is the responsibility of every healthcare professional to treat tobacco dependency systematically and effectively. PCRS advocate that people wishing to quit using tobacco should be offered the most effective but also the least harmful methods first to support a quit attempt.

Dr Roy Robertson is a Professor of Addiction Medicine at the Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. He has spent much of his career on the frontline of Edinburgh’s heroin problem working as a GP on the Muirhouse estate.