CARRii (Centre for Applied Respiratory Research & Innovation) is a UK research centre dedicated to enhancing lung health by supporting the implementation of high-quality research into clinical practice, with the aim of reducing hospital admissions, easing NHS winter healthcare pressures, and improving patient outcomes.

Winter respiratory infections remain one of the most common reasons for consultations in primary care. Most of these infections are viral, self-limiting and not helped by antibiotics, yet they still account for a substantial proportion of consultations in both general practice and community pharmacy. For primary care clinicians, these encounters are familiar. Patients seek reassurance, symptom relief and sometimes antibiotics, and we must balance compassionate care with antimicrobial stewardship and limited
appointment capacity.

Emerging evidence suggests that something as simple as a saline nasal spray, used early in illness, may shorten symptom duration, reduce antibiotic use and support patient self-care. For primary care teams, this small inexpensive intervention could offer a practical addition to winter respiratory management.