Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to improve the rates of diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
NHS England has established 13 respiratory clinical networks with primary care and community services to manage the diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Quality Outcomes Framework for 2022/23 includes respiratory indicators in relation to the diagnosis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which was fully re-instated in April 2022.
Community diagnostic centres (CDCs) are also delivering additional, digitally connected, diagnostic capacity. This includes a pilot pathway for the diagnosis of undifferentiated breathlessness in a number of CDCs, with a view to wider deployment.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure patients with multiple allergies such as asthma and eczema have access to a multidisciplinary team who can consider the best care for the patient across their conditions; and whether he will make a statement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
NHS England commissions specialist allergy services for patients with complex and severe allergy. The service specification sets out that specialist allergy centres should ensure that multidisciplinary care is provided for patients. There are regular review meetings between the regional commissioning teams and providers to ensure compliance with service standards.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Life sciences vision published on 6 July 2021, what steps (a) the Government and (b) the NHS plan to take to reduce COPD mortality in the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme, led by the Royal College of Physicians, aims to improve the quality of care, services and clinical outcomes for patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by collecting and providing data on a range of indicators. Through the NHS Long Term Plan, access to pulmonary rehabilitation will be expanded by 2028. This is an exercise and education programme for COPD, with 90% of patients who complete the programme experiencing improved exercise capacity or increased quality of life. The expansion of pulmonary rehabilitation services over 10 years aims to prevent 500,000 exacerbations and avoid 80,000 hospital admissions.
The Government has worked with global academic and industrial leaders to identify areas of scientific and research potential which could address the seven identified healthcare missions in the ‘Life Sciences Vision’. The respiratory mission aims to reduce pressure on the National Health Service and improve clinical outcomes, treatment and diagnosis.
Detailed implementation plans are being developed to deliver the Life Sciences Vision. We are working with academics, the NHS and industry on plans for the respiratory mission to reduce morbidity and mortality due to respiratory disease, including COPD.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the levels of (1) training, and (2) accreditation, for staff administering simple breathing tests, such as (a) spirometry, and (b) FeNO.
Answered by Lord Kamall
There are no plans to introduce an annual respiratory services delivery report.
The Association of Respiratory Technology and Physiology (ARTP) sets and assesses competence against the standards for quality assured spirometry. The ARTP oversee a national register of those who achieved certification in the performance and/or interpretation of spirometry. Additional funding has been made available to systems in 2021/22 and 2022/23 for the training and accreditation of staff in the provision and interpretation of quality assured spirometry. This process is being supported by respiratory clinical networks.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide devices to diagnose asthma. These devices were selected by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) for tailored support in 2021/22 as part of the Rapid Uptake Product (RUP) programme to increase adoption in the National Health Service.
During 2021/22, the RUP programme produced resources with AAC partners to support successful implementation and improve patient access to these products. This included educational packages for health professional responsible for care to improve knowledge and skills.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce an annual respiratory services delivery report.
Answered by Lord Kamall
There are no plans to introduce an annual respiratory services delivery report.
The Association of Respiratory Technology and Physiology (ARTP) sets and assesses competence against the standards for quality assured spirometry. The ARTP oversee a national register of those who achieved certification in the performance and/or interpretation of spirometry. Additional funding has been made available to systems in 2021/22 and 2022/23 for the training and accreditation of staff in the provision and interpretation of quality assured spirometry. This process is being supported by respiratory clinical networks.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence approved Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide devices to diagnose asthma. These devices were selected by the Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) for tailored support in 2021/22 as part of the Rapid Uptake Product (RUP) programme to increase adoption in the National Health Service.
During 2021/22, the RUP programme produced resources with AAC partners to support successful implementation and improve patient access to these products. This included educational packages for health professional responsible for care to improve knowledge and skills.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time is for patients to be first seen at each severe asthma centre.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
This information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Baroness Harris of Richmond (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they are proposing to address the finding by Asthma + Lung UK that the UK has the highest rate of lung disease deaths in western Europe.
Answered by Lord Kamall
The NHS Long Term Plan proposed interventions which included early and accurate diagnosis, increasing service provision for pulmonary rehabilitation, medicines optimisation, a care bundle for community acquired pneumonia and self-management of respiratory conditions. We are expanding pulmonary rehabilitation into less served communities and improving self-management support for patients with lung disease.
The Quality Outcomes Framework ensures all general practitioner practices in England establish and maintain a register of patients with a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma diagnosis in accordance with the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s guidelines. This ensures regular reviews and monitoring of those with asthma and COPD.
We are encouraging the use of preventer inhalers, inhaled corticosteroid inhalers and reducing overuse of reliever inhalers and short-acting bronchodilator inhalers, which are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. A Commissioning for Quality and Innovation incentive for a care bundle for community acquired pneumonia commenced in April 2022. The Lung Health @home project is working with the national respiratory programme to enable more patients to manage their lung health at home and ensuring they can access the most appropriate support. The project aims to deliver supported self-management and exercise and activity tools for those diagnosed with a chronic lung condition. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also established 13 Respiratory Clinical Networks to provide clinical leadership of respiratory services.
Asked by: Simon Jupp (Conservative - East Devon)
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 young people with asthma and other respiratory problems, who received their first and second covid-19 vaccination early are prioritised for the booster dose having now waited over six months between doses.
Answered by Maggie Throup
On 22 December 2021, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised that at-risk children aged 12 to 15 years old, including those with poorly controlled asthma, should be offered a booster dose a minimum of three months after completion of the primary vaccination schedule. From 17 January 2022, the National Health Service began administering booster doses to those who had completed their primary vaccination at least three months ago prior to that date. Eligible children, including those with poorly controlled asthma, have been contacted by local NHS services to arrange their appointments.
The booster programme which began in September 2021 prioritised young people aged 16 years old and above with health conditions at greater risk from COVID-19. This included those with chronic respiratory diseases including severe asthma.
Asked by: Baroness Blackstone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that people who need it (1) receive the Five Fundamentals of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Care, and (2) get better access to diagnostic tests.
Answered by Lord Kamall
NHS England and NHS Improvement have considered the report and are discussing the findings with the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK. NHS England and NHS Improvement has a duty of regard in relation to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s quality standards, including the Five Fundamentals of COPD Care. Clinical commissioning groups should have regard to them in planning and delivery of services, as part of a general duty to secure continuous improvement in quality.
The NHS Long Term Plan focuses on expanding pulmonary rehabilitation services over 10 years, to prevent 500,000 exacerbations and avoid 80,000 admissions. Thirty seven ‘early adopter’ community diagnostic centres will provide additional capacity for 610,000 diagnostic tests in 2021/22 and over 813,000 tests in the next 12 months. Local systems are also asked to review plans and progress against the NHS Long Term Plan to support key clinical conditions. For respiratory conditions, this includes pulmonary rehabilitation and spirometry.
Asked by: Baroness Blackstone (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the British Lung Foundation Failing on the fundamentals: Insights from those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) around the UK, published in November; and what plans they have to improve the percentage of people with COPD who are receiving the Five Fundamentals of COPD Care.
Answered by Lord Kamall
NHS England and NHS Improvement have considered the report and are discussing the findings with the British Lung Foundation and Asthma UK. NHS England and NHS Improvement has a duty of regard in relation to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence’s quality standards, including the Five Fundamentals of COPD Care. Clinical commissioning groups should have regard to them in planning and delivery of services, as part of a general duty to secure continuous improvement in quality.
The NHS Long Term Plan focuses on expanding pulmonary rehabilitation services over 10 years, to prevent 500,000 exacerbations and avoid 80,000 admissions. Thirty seven ‘early adopter’ community diagnostic centres will provide additional capacity for 610,000 diagnostic tests in 2021/22 and over 813,000 tests in the next 12 months. Local systems are also asked to review plans and progress against the NHS Long Term Plan to support key clinical conditions. For respiratory conditions, this includes pulmonary rehabilitation and spirometry.