Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July to Question 68960 on Asthma: Medical Equipment, how many NHS-prescribed (a) dry powder inhalers and (b) pressurised metered dose inhalers were purchased from each of the relevant Market Authorisation Holders in the latest three periods for which data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The NHS Business Services Authority (NHS BSA) produces official statistics on Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) which show the total volume and cost for drugs, dressings, appliances, and medical devices that have been dispensed in the community in England. These statistics cannot be specifically linked to the marketing authorisations, but they can be linked to pharmaceutical product suppliers using the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices. Suppliers may be distributors, manufacturers, or wholesalers. The following table shows the quantity supplied for National Health Service prescriptions of dry powder inhalers of salbutamol and terbutaline by supplier, for April, May, and June 2025:
Chemical substance | Supplier | Pharmaceutical presentation | April 2025 | May 2025 | June 2025 |
Salbutamol | Orion Pharma (UK) Ltd | Easyhaler Salbutamol sulfate 100micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler | 80,700 | 83,203 | 79,832 |
Easyhaler Salbutamol sulfate 200micrograms/dose dry powder inhaler | 7,248 | 7,287 | 6,961 | ||
GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd | Ventolin 200micrograms/dose Accuhaler | 36,039 | 34,644 | 36,302 | |
Viatris UK Healthcare Ltd | Salbulin Novolizer 100micrograms/dose inhalation powder | 179 | 152 | 187 | |
Salbulin Novolizer 100micrograms/dose inhalation powder refill | 78 | 56 | 48 | ||
Terbutaline sulphate | AstraZeneca UK Ltd | Bricanyl 500micrograms/dose Turbohaler | 29,818 | 29,938 | 28,678 |
Source: NHS BSA Open Data Portal, PCA data, with further information available at the following link:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/.
In addition, the following table shows the quantity supplied for NHS prescriptions of pressurised metered dose inhalers of salbutamol by supplier for April to June 2025:
Chemical Substance | Supplier | Pharmaceutical presentation | April 2025 | May 2025 | June 2025 |
Salbutamol | Teva UK Ltd | Salamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free (Teva) | 699,675 | 710,174 | 672,394 |
Salamol 100micrograms/dose Easi-Breathe inhaler | 61,653 | 69,182 | 63,136 | ||
Airomir 100micrograms/dose inhaler | 4,467 | 3,435 | 1,899 | ||
Airomir 100micrograms/dose Autohaler | 3,904 | 2,949 | 2,423 | ||
Salbutamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free | 242 | 95 | 34 | ||
Generic supplier | Salbutamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free | 487,491 | 485,820 | 458,946 | |
GlaxoSmithKline UK Ltd | Ventolin 100micrograms/dose Evohaler | 301,060 | 305,766 | 290,367 | |
A A H Pharmaceuticals Ltd | Salbutamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler | 101 | 56 | 6 | |
3M Health Care Ltd | Aerolin 100micrograms/dose Autohaler | 2 | 1 |
|
Source: NHS BSA Open Data Portal, PCA data, with further information available at the following link:
https://opendata.nhsbsa.net/
‘Salbutamol 100micrograms/dose inhaler CFC free’ is reimbursed generically according to the Drug Tariff Part VIIIA, so it is not necessary for pharmacy reimbursement claims to state the supplier. In cases where the NHS BSA has no supplier information, these items are classified as ‘Generic Supplier’.
As set out in the answer I gave on 23 July 2025 to Question 68960, we do not hold prescribing data that specifically differentiates inhalers based on whether they have dosage counters. We note, however, that most dry powder inhalers have dosage counters, whilst most pressurised inhalers do not. In June 2025 the proportion of salbutamol and terbutaline sulphate inhalers that were dry powder inhalers was 9.3%.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62448 on Asthma: Medical Equipment, how many patients with asthma receive their inhaler prescriptions (a) free of charge and (b) at the current prescription charge in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst the NHS Business Services Authority collects data for the number of specific prescription items dispensed in England, it is not possible to determine the indication for which a medicine was prescribed. Given inhalers can be used to treat medical conditions other than asthma, for example chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, we are unable to determine how many were dispensed for the treatment of asthma.
From February to April 2025, dispensers in the community in England issued inhalation products to approximately 3,751,000 unique patients who did not pay a charge at the point of dispensing. This total includes items where no charge was collected due to a patient holding a valid pre-payment certificate.
Furthermore, from February to April 2025, dispensers in the community in England issued inhalation products to approximately 492,000 unique patients who did pay a charge at the point of dispensing. Figures are approximate, as a unique patient cannot always be identified from a paper prescription.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many asthma patients receiving their inhaler prescriptions (a) free of charge and (b) at the current prescription charge have been admitted to hospitals with life-threatening asthma attacks in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government and its arm’s-length bodies, including the NHS Business Services Authority, do not collect this information.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to incorporate targets to provide asthma sufferers with a Personalised Asthma Action Plan into future iterations of the 10 Year Health Plan for England.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The provision of Personalised Asthma Action Plans is already incentivised by the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicator AST007. This indicator measures the percentage of patients on the asthma register who have had a review in the past 12 months. This review must include:
- an assessment using a validated asthma control questionnaire;
- a record of the number of exacerbations;
- an assessment of inhaler technique; and
- a written personalised asthma plan.
The latest QOF data shows that for England, the percentage of asthma patients on the register receiving this care has increased from 52.5% in 2021/22 to 64.6% in 2023/24.
Further details on the QOF asthma indicators are available on pages 41 to 46 of NHS England’s 2025/26 QOF guidance, which is available at the following link:
Therefore, there are currently no plans for future iterations of the 10-Year Health Plan for England.
Asked by: Ayoub Khan (Independent - Birmingham Perry Barr)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide people with asthma with Personalised Asthma Action Plans.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the British Thoracic Society (BTS), and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) published the guideline Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management in November 2024, which covers diagnosing, monitoring, and managing asthma in adults, young people, and children. The guideline emphasises the importance of personalised asthma action plans (PAAPs) for effective asthma management.
The Department and NHS England welcome the updated guideline and have been engaging with health system partners to support its implementation across the country, including the use of PAAPs.
NHS England’s National bundle of care for children and young people with asthma aims to support integrated care systems to deliver high quality asthma care and has resources available to support the use of PAAPs in children and young people.
NHS England has also been working jointly with the Health Innovation Networks to form a national respiratory partnership to improve asthma outcomes, including through implementation of the collaborative NICE, BTS, and SIGN asthma guideline.
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) incentivises use of PAAPs through indicator AST007, which measures the percentage of patients with asthma on the register, who have had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that includes an assessment of asthma control, a recording of the number of exacerbations, an assessment of inhaler technique, and a written personalised action plan. The latest QOF data shows that for England, the percentage of asthma patients on the register receiving this care has increased from 52.5% in 2021/22 to 64.6% in 2023/24.
According to the QOF data for the end of 2023/24, general practices in the Perry Barr constituency had 5,437 patients on the asthma register. Of these, 4,253 had received an asthma review in the previous 12 months, and 3,361, or 61.8% of patients on the register, had a written personalised asthma plan. Data for this indicator is not broken down by age, and determining these numbers for children would require contacting individual general practices, as they are the data controllers for this patient information.
Further information on the QOF asthma indicators are available on pages 41 to 46 of NHS England’s 2025/26 QOF guidance, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: Lord Kamall (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the Health Data Research UK projects that access NHS data where specific project independent review was not received from NHS England's Advisory Group for Data, and what is the current status of those projects.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has a Data Sharing Agreement, project identification code DARS-NIC-381078-Y9C5K, with a consortium of academic organisations in the United Kingdom for the purpose of the Health Data Research UK-led, British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre’s CVD-COVID-UK programme.
This agreement was put in place by NHS Digital prior to its merger with NHS England in 2023, and prior to the establishment of NHS England’s Advisory Group for Data (AGD). The AGD was informed of a Senior Information Risk Owner decision to approve an amendment to the agreement on 22 February 2024.
The agreement was subject to reviews by NHS Digital’s Independent Group Advising on the Release of Data (IGARD) on 25 June 2020, 23 July 2020, 15 October 2020, 3 December 2020, 25 February 2021, 29 July 2021, 29 July 2021, 5 May 2022, and 24 November 2022. It was also subject to advice from the Professional Advisory Group on 24 June 2020 and 28 July 2021.
The agreement allowed the data controllers under that agreement to approve access to National Health Service data for individual projects, subject to approval per project by the CVD-COVID-UK oversight committee, which included a representative of NHS Digital/NHS England. Individual projects were not reviewed by IGARD or the AGD.
Under the terms of the agreement, the CVD-COVID-UK oversight committee is required to maintain a list of projects undertaken under the agreement and provide a quarterly report to NHS Digital/NHS England. The following table lists the projects and their current status from the latest report provided in April 2025:
Secure Data Environment research project reference | Current project status | Project title |
CCU001 | Live - Data in Use | Investigating the effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers on COVID-19 outcomes |
CCU002 | Live - Data in Use | SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination and the risk of vascular events |
CCU003 | Live - Data in Use | Direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) |
CCU004 | Live - Data in Use | COVID-19 and CVD risk prediction |
CCU005 | Live - Data in Use | Data management and analysis methods |
CCU007 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on heart disease patients undergoing cardiac surgery |
CCU008 | Completed | Evaluating impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence and management of risk factors |
CCU010 | Live - Data in Use | In people with CVD and COVID-19, what is the influence of multi-morbidity on risk of poorer outcomes? |
CCU013 | Live - Data in Use | High-throughput electronic health record phenotyping approaches |
CCU014 | Live - Data in Use | Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on clinical pathways using a medicines approach |
CCU018 | Live - Data in Use | COVID-19 infection during pregnancy on CVD and related risk factors |
CCU019 | Live - Data in Use | Identification and personalised risk prediction for severe COVID-19 in patients with rare disorders impacting cardiovascular health |
CCU020 | Completed | Evaluation of antithrombotic use and COVID-19 outcomes |
CCU022 | Live - Data in Use | Genomics of multimorbidity and CVD associated with susceptibility to COVID-19 infection and complications |
CCU023 | Live - Data in Use | Repurposing medicines used to treat CVD risk to prevent COVID-19 |
CCU024 | Completed | CovPall-Connect. Evaluation of how palliative and end of life care teams have responded to COVID-19: Connecting to boost impact and data assets |
CCU028 | Live - Data in Use | Coronary revascularisation and outcomes before and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU029 | Live - Data in Use | Child hospital admission with COVID-19: risk factors; risk groups; and NHS care utilisation |
CCU030 | Live - Data in Use | Examining potential factors underlying the increased risk of severe COVID-19 experienced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities |
CCU032 | Live - Data in Use | The effects of COVID-19 on heart failure subtypes |
CCU035 | Completed | Are people with COVID-19 and pre-existing respiratory disease at a higher risk of future cardiovascular and venous thromboembolic events compared with COVID-19 patients without pre-existing respiratory disease? |
CCU036 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of previous exposure to COVID-19 and the safety of COVID-19 vaccination for fertility and pregnancy outcomes |
CCU037 | Live - Data in Use | Improving methods to minimise bias in ethnicity data for more representative and generalisable models, using CVD in COVID-19 as an example |
CCU038 | Live - Data in Use | Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on critical care outcomes |
CCU040 | Completed | Investigating why some people with diabetes have a greater risk of becoming seriously unwell or dying with COVID-19 |
CCU043 | Live - Data in Use | Investigating new onset diabetes following COVID-19 infection |
CCU045 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of COVID-19 on heart failure epidemiology, quality of care and outcomes across primary and secondary care |
CCU046 | Live - Data in Use | Severe mental illness and receipt of acute cardiac care and mortality following myocardial infarction |
CCU049 | Live - Data in Use | Healthcare utilisation in individuals with Long COVID |
CCU051 | Completed | Un-vaccination and under-vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in the UK |
CCU052 | Live - Data in Use | An observational retrospective cohort study describing the changing epidemiology pre, during and post COVID-19 of asthma, interstitial lung disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in England |
CCU053 | Live - Data in Use | Risks and benefits of treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors and the impact of intercurrent illness with COVID-19 |
CCU056 | Completed | Socio-demographic make-up of patients undergoing surgical and transcatheter aortic valve intervention in England and the impact of COVID-19 on this |
CCU057 | Live - Data in Use | Risks for mortality in people with severe mental illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU058 | Live - Data in Use | COVID-19 impact on the long-term outcomes of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies in people with long-term cardiovascular conditions |
CCU059 | Completed | Which combinations of multiple long-term conditions are associated with the greatest risk of hospital admission over the winter season, and to what extent does COVID-19 or influenza vaccination modify this risk? |
CCU060 | Live - Data in Use | Improving characterisation, prediction and intervention for COVID-19 and influenza-related morbidity and mortality |
CCU063 | Live - Data in Use | The effect of COVID-19 on maternal and paediatric health among individuals whose first language isn’t English and require an interpreter in England: from preconception to adolescence |
CCU064 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 clinical care pathway changes on gestational diabetes incidence and pregnancy outcomes in England |
CCU066 | Live - Data in Use | Changes in acute cardiac care of patients with reduced kidney function during the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU068 | Completed | The impact of vaccination on the excess clinical risks of COVID-19 in patients with congenital heart disease |
CCU069 | Live - Data in Use | RARE-CVD-COVID: To understand COVID-19 impact on intersectional disparity in rare versus common cardiometabolic diseases: CVD and metabolic diseases, including diabetes |
CCU070 | Live - Data in Use | Supporting novel trial designs using healthcare systems data to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on diabetes research |
CCU071 | Live - Data in Use | A regional approach for policy makers to tackle health inequalities in CVD and its risk factors |
CCU072 | Live - Data in Use | Influence of COVID-19 on British burden of CVD |
CCU073 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 on the association between Type 2 diabetes and incidence of CVD |
CCU074 | Live - Data in Use | Improving the accuracy, equity and efficiency of using healthcare systems data for recruitment to a clinical trial involving people with CVD and diabetes mellitus: a simulation study in the “Covid era” using the CVD‑COVID‑UK dataset |
CCU075 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on corticosteroid use and side effects in Takayasu arteritis and ANCA-associated vasculitis in England |
CCU076 | Live - Data in Use | The effect of COVID-19 infection on cardiovascular outcomes: an interaction analysis with environmental exposure |
CCU077 | Live - Data in Use | Risk assessment and long-term outcomes of acute coronary syndrome management strategy in cardio-oncology patients before and after the COVID-19 era |
CCU078 | On hold | Foresight: a generative artificial intelligence model of patient trajectories across the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU079 | Live - Data in Use | Investigating the diagnoses of conditions among children in England following SARS-CoV-2 infections compared to general respiratory infections |
CCU080 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 on the use of cardiovascular imaging |
CCU081 | Live - Data in Use | Investigating the impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular and thromboembolic events in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and the incidence of connective tissue diseases |
CCU082 | Live - Data in Use | Pulmonary arterial hypertension in repaired congenital heart disease: impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prevalence; late diagnosis; and outcomes |
CCU083 | Live - Data in Use | Trends in choice of management strategy for NSTE-ACS among patients with previous bypass surgery before and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU084 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 on stroke incidence, severity, aetiology, management, and outcome in younger versus older individuals in England |
CCU085 | Live - Data in Use | STROKE-IMPACT: What are the long-term consequences of stroke on the patient and to the NHS, and how does COVID-19 contribute to variation? |
CCU086 | Live - Data in Use | A data landscape review of datasets used in the surveillance of neurological complications of COVID-19 |
CCU087 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of COVID-19 on heart failure outcomes: the moderation roles of diabetes and obesity |
CCU088 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of COVID-19 on the management of iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, in primary and secondary care |
CCU089 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of comorbidity, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity on waiting times for surgery before and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU090 | Live - Data in Use | The impact of cardiac rehabilitation following transcatheter aortic valve implantation before and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU092 | Live - Data in Use | Simulation modelling of CVD development and management, identifying the extent to which COVID-19 has impacted on the assessment and treatment of CVD. |
CCU093 | Live - Data in Use | Understanding the relationship between diabetes and the development of multiple long-term conditions in England, Scotland, and Wales during and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
CCU094 | Live - Data in Use | Identifying preventative opportunities for coronary heart disease and stroke in multi-ethnic patients with non-cardiovascular conditions including COVID-19 |
CCU095 | Live - Data in Use | Quantifying and mitigating bias and health inequalities induced by clinical risk models predicting COVID-19-related risks of people with CVD and diabetes. |
CCU096 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 on obesity and risks of cardio-renal-metabolic outcomes |
CCU097 | Live - Data in Use | Drivers, consequences and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on severe hyperglycaemia at type 2 diabetes diagnosis |
CCU100 | Live - Data in Use | Impact of COVID-19 on fatty liver disease and cardiovascular outcomes in England, across ethnicities and social deprivation |
CCU101 | Live - Data in Use | Lung-Pal-Equity: To identify patterns in use of hospital services in the last year of life for those with advanced lung disease and to examine inequalities by socio-economic group, including before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic |
The status of project CCU078 has been updated to reflect that NHS England paused the project on 29 May. Further detail on the projects is published on the British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre’s website.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to identify (a) undiagnosed patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and (b) COPD patients who are managed in primary care that should have their management escalated to specialist care in Greater Manchester ICB.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical priority and the National Health Service is investing in the provision of more and better rehabilitation services for respiratory patients. This has the objective of improving outcomes for people with COPD through early diagnosis including via spirometry tests, and through increased access to treatments.
The NHS RightCare COPD pathway has been rolled out nationally and defines the optimal service for people with COPD. Furthermore, the National Respiratory Audit Programme aims to improve quality of care, services, and clinical outcomes for patients with asthma and COPD, by collecting and providing data on a range of indicators and pulmonary rehabilitation activity.
A national programme of work is underway to support systems with improving access to Pulmonary Rehabilitation for the eligible population; increase capacity of provision to reduce waiting lists; and improve the quality and consistency of rehabilitation programmes through accreditation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective for people with COPD, improving exercise capacity or increased quality of life in 90% of patients who complete a programme.
Within NHS Greater Manchester, action being taken to address COPD includes:
- improving equity of access to diagnostic spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide, particularly for disadvantaged population groups;
- increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for pulmonary rehabilitation services;
- increasing vaccination uptake and focusing on secondary prevention of pneumonia;
- running smoking cessation services; and
- introducing a respiratory standard to improve quality in general practice in managing COPD.
This standard utilises a tool to identify patients with COPD who are at the highest risk and asks practices to do an enhanced review and management of these patients to help manage their COPD better.
Data on the average time to diagnosis of COPD following patient contact with their general practitioner (GP) is not available. COPD diagnosis typically involves a spirometry test, and data related to such tests may be available at the level of individual GP practices and secondary care providers but is not yet routinely collected in national datasets or in Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. Furthermore, the test is also used in the diagnosis of other respiratory conditions, not just COPD.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report by Asthma Lung UK entitled Lung conditions kill more people in the UK than anywhere in Western Europe, published on 28 February 2022.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The report from Asthma + Lung UK highlights the relatively high mortality rate in the United Kingdom from lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. It asks for better and faster diagnosis, new treatments, new technology, and more action on prevention. These are consistent with the Government’s policies and priorities.
The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.
This will support earlier diagnosis, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, can further help prevent lung conditions.
On COPD and asthma specifically, the NHS is investing in the provision of more and better rehabilitation services for respiratory patients. This has the objective of improving outcomes through early diagnosis including via spirometry tests, and through increased access to treatments.
The NHS RightCare COPD pathway has been rolled out nationally and defines the optimal service for people with COPD. Furthermore, the National Respiratory Audit Programme aims to improve quality of care, services, and clinical outcomes for patients with asthma and COPD, by collecting and providing data on a range of indicators and pulmonary rehabilitation activity. A national programme of work is underway to support systems with improving access to Pulmonary Rehabilitation for the eligible population. Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective for people with COPD, improving exercise capacity or increased quality of life in 90% of patients who complete a programme.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average time is for a patient to receive a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) following initial contact with their GP for respiratory illness symptoms in (a) Greater Manchester ICB and (b) England in weeks.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Respiratory disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a clinical priority and the National Health Service is investing in the provision of more and better rehabilitation services for respiratory patients. This has the objective of improving outcomes for people with COPD through early diagnosis including via spirometry tests, and through increased access to treatments.
The NHS RightCare COPD pathway has been rolled out nationally and defines the optimal service for people with COPD. Furthermore, the National Respiratory Audit Programme aims to improve quality of care, services, and clinical outcomes for patients with asthma and COPD, by collecting and providing data on a range of indicators and pulmonary rehabilitation activity.
A national programme of work is underway to support systems with improving access to Pulmonary Rehabilitation for the eligible population; increase capacity of provision to reduce waiting lists; and improve the quality and consistency of rehabilitation programmes through accreditation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is effective for people with COPD, improving exercise capacity or increased quality of life in 90% of patients who complete a programme.
Within NHS Greater Manchester, action being taken to address COPD includes:
- improving equity of access to diagnostic spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide, particularly for disadvantaged population groups;
- increasing capacity and reducing waiting times for pulmonary rehabilitation services;
- increasing vaccination uptake and focusing on secondary prevention of pneumonia;
- running smoking cessation services; and
- introducing a respiratory standard to improve quality in general practice in managing COPD.
This standard utilises a tool to identify patients with COPD who are at the highest risk and asks practices to do an enhanced review and management of these patients to help manage their COPD better.
Data on the average time to diagnosis of COPD following patient contact with their general practitioner (GP) is not available. COPD diagnosis typically involves a spirometry test, and data related to such tests may be available at the level of individual GP practices and secondary care providers but is not yet routinely collected in national datasets or in Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board. Furthermore, the test is also used in the diagnosis of other respiratory conditions, not just COPD.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that NT-proBNP testing is implemented in Community Diagnostic Centres.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
NT-proBNP is a well-established blood test used across the National Health Service in the detection of heart failure. All standard and large model community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are required to offer blood tests via a phlebotomy service, and the majority of spoke model CDCs also offer this service.
All NHS pathology networks have laboratories that are equipped to provide results for these blood tests.
14 CDCs are also currently able to provide NT-proBNP blood tests as a point of care test (POCT), where results can be assessed on site while patients wait, allowing patients to get results on the same day. NHS England is working with CDCs to expand the number offering this test as a POCT test.
NHS England has also released guidance to increase the use of NT-proBNP tests as a triage tool for referral to echocardiography services. The guidance has been published, and is available at the following link: