Abstract

The South West Academic Health Science Network (South-West AHSN) is supporting the spread of FeNO testing in primary care to improve the pathways for people with suspected and confirmed asthma.

Supported by funding from Devon CCG, the South-West AHSN and the South-West Respiratory Clinical Network, the FeNO Project South-West supports the adoption of FeNO, a point of care test which measures type two inflammation in airways, to augment and support the accuracy of asthma diagnosis. The aim is to improve patient care and pathways for people with suspected and confirmed asthma across the South-West of England, as well as to create the right conditions to facilitate sustainable use of FeNO testing.

As of June 2022, 4 grant funding approvals with a total value of £196,318, in addition to Pathway Transformation Funding from the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative, have supported rollout of 44 new machines and consumables across 36 PCNs plus access to training. A further 18 machines will be distributed this year, further supporting patient access. Figure 1 shows the current spread of the project across the region.

4 local collaborative forums have been held with over 150 attendees in total, bringing together healthcare professionals who are either currently using FeNO, are in the process of implementing it or are planning to do so. Attendees use the forums to share best practice, challenges and impact.

Anecdotal evidence has demonstrated that FeNO testing is a key part of supporting asthma management, informing clinical decision making and facilitating discussion with patients. An evaluation is planned to assess how practices are implementing FeNO, the impact it is having on the accuracy of asthma diagnosis plus practice and patient experience. Data collection will also demonstrate whether FeNO has resulted in reduced referrals into secondary care, reduced exacerbations and reduced use of steroid medication.