Advancing COPD care through expert insights on policy reform

Everyday tasks that most people take for granted, such as getting dressed, walking upstairs, or even just breathing easily are significant challenges.[i]

COPD is a major health challenge in the UK, affecting around 1.4 million people.[ii] It’s a condition that doesn’t just seriously impact the lives of people with COPD – it also puts a significant strain on the NHS as the second leading cause of emergency hospital admissions.[iii]

Given the ongoing pressures on the NHS, it’s clear to me that there is a critical need for a targeted focus on COPD. A timely and accurate diagnosis, and consistent best practice management, are critical for ensuring better outcomes for patients and easing the significant burden on the NHS and society.

That’s why I was delighted to be involved in the COPD Roadshow that took place in June 2024, organised by Sanofi in partnership with Asthma and Lung UK, the nation’s lung health charity. The roadshow was a series of medical education sessions held in six regions across England: Southampton/Portsmouth, London, Hull, the North West, Newcastle, and Leicester. As clinical lead for Humber and North Yorkshire Respiratory Network, I was delighted to support the session in Hull.

The sessions were designed to explore how policy interventions could improve COPD care and empower healthcare professionals to advocate for and secure these changes. As experts on the ground, clinicians have invaluable insights to share with political advocates and health system leaders who can champion and spearhead change.

During these events, local healthcare professionals shared best practice initiatives which looked to tackle challenges across COPD prevention, diagnosis, and management. Clinicians highlighted projects like setting up new diagnostic hubs, creating virtual wards, and helping patients keep their homes warm.

We also delved into what policy interventions could help us deliver even better care to our COPD patients and improve outcomes in our regions. Despite some regional differences in COPD outcomes and approaches to diagnosis and management, common priority areas emerged. These included: identifying people living with COPD to enable early diagnosis and intervention; identifying and optimally managing those who frequently experience exacerbations to reduce future risk; and ensuring access to specialist care.

Across all three priorities, a recurring policy ask was the need to bring care closer to patients. For instance, there was strong consensus on the value that bringing diagnostic services into the community could have, via mobile or fixed diagnostic units in community settings such as shopping or sports centres. 

Regarding access to tertiary care, clinicians suggested that specialist clinicians visiting GPs and regional hospitals would ensure that patients, no matter where they live, would have access to specialist care. Virtual multidisciplinary team sessions that bring together specialists, GPs and practice nurses, were also seen as a route to ensure oversight, and fast-tracking, of at-risk patients to specialist care.

As healthcare professionals, we witness the day-to-day battles our patients face living with COPD – the breathlessness, the difficulty in performing routine activities, and the emotional strain of living with a progressive condition.[iv] We also have insight into the systemic challenges patients experience in receiving optimal COPD care. We therefore have a critical role to play in bridging the gap between our clinical experience and health policy reform. This is central to ensuring that policy interventions and new pathways are evidence-based and patient-centred, and will lead to meaningful and impactful improvements for our patients.