The new BTS/SIGN/NICE guideline for asthma: What it means for you

Following 26 years nursing in general practice Carol now works at Gloucestershire ICB Respiratory Clinical Programme Group and is CYP Asthma Clinical Lead. Carol is also a co-clinical lead of the NHSE Southwest Respiratory Network.
Carol is past Executive Chair of PCRS – the first non-doctor and first female to take the chair. She is current a trustee of the charity. She is vice chair of the Lung Health Task Force and also co-chairs the Taskforce early and accurate diagnosis group.
Carol received Queen’s Nurse award in 2007 and in 2016 was awarded an MBE for Services to Nursing and Healthcare.

Deborah qualified as a pharmacist in 2000 with a first-class degree. She has had a varied career starting in community pharmacy, moving on to regional and national training roles and then into primary care in 2009 as a clinical pharmacist for NHS Sheffield.
In 2016 Deborah qualified as a pharmacist independent prescriber and was appointed respiratory lead pharmacist for Sheffield CCG and now for South Yorkshire ICB (Sheffield) Deborah has led on many pieces of respiratory work including guideline and formulary development. She has also developed many initiatives for inhaler optimisation for the city as well as educational sessions. Deborah is also currently Co-Clinical Lead for Children and Young Peoples Asthma for South Yorkshire, Clinical Lead for SABA reduction in South Yorkshire, Chair of the South Yorkshire Sustainable Respiratory Group and a committee member for the South Yorkshire Respiratory Interest Group.
Deborah is Vice Chair of the PCRS Service Development Committee, a member of the Policy Forum and is a core member of the Asthma Right Care team. She has contributed to various PCRS documents including Asthma Guidelines in Practice – A PCRS consensus. She has a passion for respiratory care and is focussed at putting the patient at the centre of care.

Kevin is a GP based in Box Wiltshire.
He is a clinical adviser to NICE and has been a member of NICE COPD and asthma Guideline Groups and member of the BTS/NICE/SIGN 2024 Asthma Guidelines Committee.
He is ex-education and clinical policy lead of the Primary Care Respiratory Society and is currently a trustee of the group.
He is a former respiratory lead at the Royal College of General Practitioners and is currently a clinical adviser to the College.
He has 60 plus peer reviewed publications in respiratory medicine and has been a member of the British Thoracic Society Chronic Cough and Bronchiectasis and Guidelines Committees and on steering committees for the National COPD and Asthma Audit and National Review of Asthma Deaths. He is currently a member of the BTS Cough Clinical Standards Committee.
He is also a GP with a special interest in Sports Medicine and was Medical officer for Bath Rugby Club until 2000.

Helena is a senior respiratory nurse specialist with 2 decades of experience in primary care, and specialist respiratory services. While her expertise lies in COPD and asthma, she is passionate about all respiratory conditions. She leads the severe asthma service in Hull & East Riding and supports the regional network across HNY. Additionally, she works as an independent ACP in primary care, providing expert respiratory support, education, and mentorship.

Committed to service development, Helena chairs the PCRS Service Development Committee and sits on committees within ARNS and SANN driving national respiratory improvements. She is a dedicated educator, sharing expertise across multiple platforms and founding the Humber Respiratory Champions Network to mentor emerging leaders in respiratory care.

Research is another key focus; Helena has led and supported numerous studies and advocates for embedding research into clinical practice. Her unwavering enthusiasm for respiratory health drives her ongoing pursuit of optimal respiratory care.

A Clinical Fellow Pharmacist with a keen interest in preventative medicine. Darush has presented at various national and international conferences (including the PCRS, IPCRG, ERS, Clinical Pharmacy Congress). Darush was part of the London Clinical Senate Helping Smokers Quit programme. Darush is a lead for NHS RightBreathe and helps mentor clinicians in 45 PCNs across NW London. In 2019 Darush was awarded PCPA GP Pharmacist runner up. He runs group sessions with patients and clinicians. Darush is the Executive Chair of the PCRS
Other roles include:
Co-Chair Taskforce for Lung Health Medicines Optimisation Working Group
Co-Chair of the CYP Pharmacy asthma group pan London

Darush enjoys running and raising money for respiratory and cardiac charities. One of his main missions is to reduce health inequalities caused by tobacco and spends a lot of his time teaching in deprived locations across the UK.