The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) came out a decade ago, yet as a nation, we still have the highest asthma death rate in Europe - four times that of Italy or the Netherlands. This is unsurprising, considering many patients still rely on their blue inhalers alone.

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. 

It is not a tick box template – all consultations with patients should be approached holistically and tailored specifically to the patient’s needs, requirements and other co-morbidities and situations.

Very Brief Advice (VBA) is our most practical tool to trigger a quit attempt, with structured behavioural support and medical treatment being the best method of quitting and ideally these are provided by stop smoking practitioners.

Tobacco dependency is a long-term relapsing condition that usually starts in childhood This tobacco dependency pragmatic guide is a practical, immediately implementable, evidence-based framework to enable healthcare professionals to routinely identify smokers, encourage a quit attempt a

People living with respiratory disease require a significant amount of support, guidance and intervention to manage their condition effectively. These interventions should be delivered by clinicians with an appropriate level of expertise in this field.

PCRS are proud to have supported NHS England London’s #AskAboutAsthma campaign over the years.

This document outlines a consensus recommendation based on the best available evidence and expert opinion. Its purpose is to provide guidance on a safe approach within the limitations of the evidence and devices currently available.

Respiratory disease and mental health are interlinked in many ways, with respiratory conditions often impacting mental wellbeing and vice versa. NHS England states that people with severe and enduring mental illness are at greater risk of poor physical health and reduced life expect

People living in the most deprived communities across the country are set to benefit from new neighbourhood health services as the government takes the first steps in the rollout today (Wednesday 9th July), making care more convenient and reducing health inequalities.

Point-of-care testing of C-reactive protein (CRP) for the acute assessment of worsening symptoms in people known to have COPD can safely reduce the use of antibiotics and could help improve the diagnostic approach towards someone presenting in such a crisis.

With the summer holidays fast approaching, many will be planning trips abroad and booking flights for warm and sunny destinations. However, flying can be a very challenging way to travel for many people with respiratory disease.

Corinne Beirne, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Amanda Roberts, from PCRS’s patient reference group, discuss what constitutes a good asthma review from a patient’s perspective.