According to the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) asthma control is assessed in two domains: symptom control and risk of adverse outcomes.  Poor symptom control is budensome to patients and increases the risk of exacerbations, but patients with good symptom control can still have sev

Issue 15 of PCRU examines the challenges of tackling multimorbidity in patients with respiratory disease and equality in patient populations.

This issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update takes a look at the past, the present and the future.

This edition sees a focus on antibiotics – a hardy perennial topic that requires regular re-visitation. Whether for respiratory infections or as part of rescue pack use, the practical guidance given, together with the views of patients, aims to support your decision-making in practice.

The Fit to Care document was initially developed to guide and support clinicians working with patients with respiratory disease. Since it’s first publication primary care has seen huge changes in the dynamics of the workforce providing this care.

In this article we explore what healthcare policy is, why it matters, how we as healthcare professionals can influence UK healthcare policy and why we should. Carol Stonham is our immediate past Executive Chair and leads the PCRS Policy Forum.

In early 2022, trained respiratory healthcare practitioner nurses in general practice were invited to participate in the South West Primary Care Respiratory Champions Project funded by the South West Respiratory Network.

Given the direct impact of COVID-19 on those with existing breathing difficulties, the ‘newly breathless’ – those whose lung function has been impaired by Covid – as well as rising levels of air pollution, the need for social prescribing solutions in respiratory healthcare has never been greater.

The transformation of out of hospital services has been identified as a key element of the NHS recovery plan. Patient care delivered closer to or in their own homes was identified as a priority in the NHS Long Term Plan.

The formation of Integrated Care Systems in July 2022 has given us as healthcare professionals an opportunity to improve and shape respiratory care in our area for patients with respiratory disease.

It can be a challenge to keep up with the rapid changes in how the NHS is governed and organised across all the nations of the UK.

Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are a group of bacteria that are capable of causing opportunistic lung infections and the development of NTM pulmonary disease (NTM-PD).

In this article we review the major changes in the 2023 GOLD report as they impact on the initial and ongoing pharmacological management of COPD and consider the implications for primary care in the UK.

This pragmatic guide on the identification, referral and ongoing management of adults and children with severe asthma has been developed by an expert group led by Dr Steve Holmes, a GP based in Shepton Mallet, Somerset and including Will Carroll, University Hospital of the North Midlands, Stoke-o

This issue of PCRU introduces our latest pragmatic guide on severe asthma which guides you through this process ensuring the right patients end up in the right place with the right care.