The need to reduce avoidable short term respiratory admissions

United Kingdom, 9 July 2026

The Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) has issued a new Position Statement highlighting the need for coordinated, community‑based action to reduce avoidable short‑term respiratory hospital admissions across the UK. Short‑term admissions—defined as hospital stays of 0–1 days - now account for around 16% of all hospital admissions, with respiratory disease remaining one of the leading drivers of emergency pressure on the NHS.

PCRS stresses that while some short‑term admissions are clinically necessary, many could be prevented through better community support, improved integration between services, and timely follow‑up for people living with chronic respiratory conditions.

“Short-term respiratory admissions represent key opportunities to improve patient health,” the statement notes, adding that ~35% of patients admitted with COPD are readmitted within 90 days, often for preventable exacerbations.

PCRS calls for a joined‑up, patient‑centred approach that prioritises prevention, integration, and high‑quality respiratory care delivered closer to home. The organisation emphasises that reducing avoidable admissions is both clinically achievable and essential for relieving NHS pressure.

Key Findings from the PCRS Position Statement 

• Respiratory disease is a major driver of NHS pressure, with over 854,000 emergency admissions in England alone.
• Leading causes include influenza, pneumonia, asthma and COPD exacerbations, and other acute respiratory infections.
• Social vulnerability, lack of community support, and gaps in urgent care pathways frequently contribute to short stays that might otherwise be avoided.
• Vaccination, smoking cessation, tackling air pollution, and improving access to community respiratory services are essential preventative strategies.

Calls to Action

PCRS urges commissioners, policymakers, and healthcare leaders to act now:

1. Strengthen community respiratory services

• Prioritising respiratory clinical leadership roles at integrated care board (ICB), regional and primary care network (PCN) level. See PCRS’s latest position statement on this: PCRS Position Statement: Serious Concerns Regarding the Erosion of Respiratory Leadership and Expertise Across ICBs, Regions and Primary Care Networks | Primary Care Respiratory Society
• Expand hot clinics, virtual wards, and neighbourhood respiratory teams.
• Ensure primary care clinicians are aware of local admission‑avoidance schemes.

2. Guarantee timely post‑discharge follow‑up

• Every patient admitted with a chronic respiratory condition should receive a rapid review by a clinician trained to PCRS Fit to Care standards1.
• Prioritise patients at highest risk of readmission, including those with anxiety, depression, frequent antibiotic use, or immunocompromise.

3. Improve communication across the system

• Make discharge summaries and clinical information fully accessible across primary and secondary care.
• Reduce fragmentation that patients frequently report as a barrier to safe care.

4. Invest in prevention

• Boost vaccination uptake for influenza, pneumonia, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
• Embed smoking cessation support at every clinical contact.
• Address air pollution and health inequalities—people in the most deprived areas are 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalised for respiratory illness.

5. Support social care access

• Ensure adequate short‑term social support to prevent admissions driven by unmet care needs rather than clinical necessity.

Notes to Editors: About PCRS

• The Primary Care Respiratory Society UK (PCRS) is the UK’s leading and longest-established professional society dedicated to improving respiratory care in primary, community, and integrated care settings.
• PCRS educates and supports healthcare professionals working in primary and community settings by providing easy access to evidence-based clinical guidance and best practice resources on all aspects of common respiratory conditions seen in primary care.
• PCRS advocates and campaigns to inform and influence respiratory healthcare policy, and to set standards in the management of respiratory medicine in out-of-hospital settings.
• PCRS promotes and disseminates real-life respiratory research as part of its policy and educational activities.
• PCRS represents clinicians across primary and community care and works closely with NHS England and national programmes to support best practice.
• The full position statement is available below.
• Contact:
  • 01675 477600
  • info@pcrs-uk.org
  • Website: www.pcrs-uk.org