Workstream 1 – Asthma Neighbourhood Development
Clinical Lead: Professor Michael Crooks
- Focuses on early identification, diagnosis and risk stratification of asthma in community settings
- Aims to support implementation of the BTS, NICE, SIGN asthma guideline (NG244) across the healthcare system and develop new models of care at a neighbourhood level
- Supports proactive, equitable care aligned to evidence-based practice and addressing health inequalities.
The 2024 BTS, NICE, SIGN guideline provides an opportunity to significantly improve outcomes for people living with asthma across the UK. However, it can only achieve this if it is implemented in practice. Workstream 1 of the RTP will be codesigned with clinicians from across the healthcare system and with people with asthma so that it can truly meet the needs of those delivering and receiving asthma care in the neighbourhood setting. Working collaboratively with colleagues across the healthcare sector and in full alignment with the other RTP workstreams, we will work to support the delivery of proactive and equitable, evidence-based, guideline-recommended care. – Michael Crooks
Workstream 2 – Asthma Biologics Access
Clinical Lead: Dr Thomas Brown
- Focuses on addressing variation in biologics uptake across systems and populations
- Aims to improve access to biologics for patients with severe asthma in accordance with NICE TAGs (TA565, TA751, TA671, TA984, TA278)
- Supports local ICB commissioning readiness and service transformation.
Workstream 3 – COPD Neighbourhood Development
Clinical Lead: Dr Sarah Elkin
- Focuses on early and accurate diagnosis and risk stratification of COPD in the community
- Aims to develop new models of care at neighbourhood level, identify and manage high-risk patients earlier in the disease course and prevent avoidable deterioration and admissions
- Supports proactive, equitable care aligned to evidence-based practice and addressing health inequalities.
Workstream 4 – COPD Biologics Readiness
Clinical Lead: Professor James Dodd
- Focuses on preparing ICBs and COPD pathways to enable equitable access to future COPD biologics
- Aims to align commissioning pathways, workforce education and data infrastructure across ICBs
- Supports local ICB commissioning readiness and service transformation.
I am looking forward to working in partnership with experts across the system to ensure the NHS is ready to deliver advanced therapies for COPD safely, effectively and fairly. Workstream 4 focuses on preparing the NHS for the potential introduction of biologics in COPD care. Our aims are to support services in identifying the right patients, designing robust clinical pathways and building workforce capability, while aligning commissioning processes and data infrastructure across ICBs. By driving local commissioning readiness and service transformation, and embedding data-driven monitoring and collaboration, this work will link seamlessly with the COPD neighbourhood pathway and align with the ambitions of the NHS Long Term Plan. – James Dodd