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In this inspiring article we learn about the power of storytelling for children and young people suffering from asthma. Asthma is a very common disease, and for some it is a lifelong condition requiring long-term self-management. Studies show that lay-led asthma education can lead to increased knowledge about symptoms, treatment and management strategies. Better understanding is also linked to a decrease in exacerbations and a reduction in symptoms. Receiving information about their condition will help educate children and young people and empower them to better manage their asthma.

In a time of uncertainty and financial pressure, this issue of Primary Care Respiratory Update (PCRU) is a vital resource for anyone working in respiratory care. As Integrated Care Boards across England face significant budget cuts, programmes that have taken years to build are now under threat. But rather than retreat, we must respond with purpose, unity, and evidence.

For our next In Conversation Katherine was joined by Dr Richard Russell, a man of many respiratory interested hats!As we know, in many cases patients are still not being prescribed the right medications, and unless we make change now, this same conversation will continue to be had for years to come.Both Katherine and Richard share an immense passion about how patients should be cared for, and during this In Conversation they will break the inhaler inertia and talk about how we can move away from the outdated respiratory care that continues to be provided.

This is the second webinar in the PCRS Maintenance and Reliever Therapy (MART) in asthma campaign. It provides information on anti-inflammatory reliever (AIR) and MART treatment options in the context of the new BTS/NICE/SIGN asthma guideline 2024 and associated implementation guidance.  

In November 2024 NICE, in collaboration the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), released guidance NG245. It stated that the results of FeNO testing should be used, where possible, to confirm eosinophilic airway inflammation to support an asthma diagnosis in people aged 17 years and older particularly in those patients with diagnostic uncertainty and/ or a diagnosis of mild asthma.

In this podcast Fiona Mosgrove (PCRS Education lead) and Tom Fardon (Consultant Physician) discuss asthma biologics and how they can support effective severe asthma care. It compliments and covers PCRS's asthma desktop helper which aims to support primary healthcare professionals with their knowledge of biologics and how to identify patients who would benefit from them. During this recording Fiona and Tom explore:

In November 2024 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in collaboration with the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), launched their updated guideline: Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management [NG245]. This guideline has the potential to deliver high quality, standardised and cost effective care across the asthma care pathway, as well as tackle health inequality and the environmental impact respiratory conditions have in the UK.

Are you struggling to persuade your Integrated Care Board (ICB) to fund FeNO testing? With the new BTS/NICE/SIGN asthma guideline recommending FeNO for asthma diagnostic testing, this can create quite a challenging for primary care providers. There can also be uncertainty around when to use it and when not to and many will not be alone in this uncertainty.