Asthma
Our work with primary care related to asthma is delivered in partnership with the Rapid Uptake Products (RUP) programme. The 20/21 RUP include biologics for treating severe asthma (Reslizumab, Benralizumab, Mepolizumab and Omalizumab) and measuring fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) concentration in asthma (NIOX VERO and NObreath). Read more about the 20/21 RUP.
Alongside our long term condition pilots (see below), we supported NHS organisations to apply for funding through phase three of the Pathway Transformation Fund. The fund aims to increase the adoption of 20/21 RUP. Read more about the successful applications in our region to the Pathway Transformation Fund.
Although focused outside of primary care, an Asthma Discharge Bundle is one of the four adoption and spread priorities being delivered by AHSNs as part of the National Patient Safety Improvement Programme (NatPatSIP). Read more about our adoption and spread projects, including asthma.
COPD
Alongside our long term condition pilots (see below), and whilst outside of primary care, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Discharge Care Bundle is one of the four adoption and spread priorities being delivered as part of the National Patient Safety Improvement Programme (NatPatSIP).
Read more about our adoption and spread projects, including COPD.
We’re also working with the health system in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) to roll-out the myCOPD app alongside digital health champions to support patients with Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). myCOPD provides guides on self-management, how and when to take medication, pulmonary rehabilitation and more, to help patients to recover and manage their condition effectively at home. This project has been awarded funding from NHSX’s Digital Health Partnership Award.
Future Challenge – Moving to better health (COPD)
The West of England AHSN’s Future Challenges programme is a new way we are supporting innovators and local partners to pilot innovations and validate them in a real-world setting. The key aim of the programme is to generate evidence to support the wider introduction of promising new innovations to address an identified health and care challenge.
Moving to Better Health (MBH) is a project that aims to help people living with COPD to improve the self-management of their condition by supporting them to understand and improve their everyday physical activity. It is one of two projects being piloted under the Future Challenges theme of ‘Keeping healthy at home’. Read more about this Future Challenge project.
Using Proactive Care Frameworks
We are supporting the piloting of a package of tools and resources designed by UCL Partners to enable primary care teams to continue to effectively manage patients with long term conditions during and post-COVID-19.
Frameworks focus on the management of Atrial Fibrillation; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; type 2 diabetes; asthma and COPD. At present we are working with primary care on pilot projects related to Type 2 diabetes in Bath, North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, and asthma. We anticipate this being phase one of a wider project where more sites are supported to adopt the frameworks later in 2021. The second phase of the pilot will be underpinned by the local phase one evaluations and lessons learned, in addition to feedback gathered from across the national AHSN Network.
Read more about our work on proactive care frameworks, and access our free implementation resources.
For information about this project in the West of England, please contact Kate Phillips.
