COPD Resources

Ground breaking nurse-led lung cancer project.

A recent independent evaluation of Liverpool’s Healthy Lung programme, undertaken by Queen Mary University of London and the University of Liverpool, found that this nurse-led programme is improving early detection of lung cancer and undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Liverpool’s healthy lung programme was launched in April 2016 by NHS Liverpool clinical commissioning group (CCG), working in partnership with local hospitals, NHS England, Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support as part of the national ACE programme, with the aim of finding and treating as many cases of lung cancer and COPD as possible, and as early as possible.

Raising awareness to reduce the burden of COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the major causes of death in the UK and worldwide. Although public awareness has increased over the last 20 years, many people have still not heard of it or know about the symptoms and disability it causes. World COPD day was established by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) to raise awareness of the condition.

Celebrating 30 years of improving lives

Welcome to this issue of GPN. We are delighted to share the latest news in the world of Education for Health, especially at the start of this very special year — we are celebrating our 30th anniversary!

This is an important milestone in our charity’s history and one we are looking forward to celebrating in 2017. During the year we will thank those who have contributed to our success, reflect on our achievements and make ambitious plans for the future. We plan to mark our anniversary with a number of activities in May and June.

Toby Capstick highlights why healthcare professionals and patients need the new UK Inhaler Group standards.

Teaching correct inhaler technique has long been known to be key in the management of respiratory conditions; the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network asthma (BTS/SIGN, 2016) and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (NICE, 2010) guidelines give almost identical advice to healthcare professionals; namely, that inhalers should be prescribed only after patients have received training in the use of the device, and have demonstrated satisfactory technique, which is repeated regularly thereafter. This recommendation is emphasised in the NICE asthma and COPD quality standards (NICE, 2013; 2016).

Here, Chris Loveridge reflects on a patient story where the focus slipped away from the patient resulting in a failure of care.

As nurses, one of the first things we are taught is how to communicate with patients. It is also important to look out for clues that might help to assess their condition. For example, in patients with breathlessness this could mean:

• Observing how they walk towards us, the degree of breathlessness
• Looking at their skin colour when they reach us — both at their hands as they greet us and their lips when they are talking
• Reaching across to reassure and feel the texture of their skin and perhaps even the radial pulse. Once taught, these skills are never forgotten and, added to a conversation, can encourage patients to relate how they feel, and thus, begin the process of history-taking.

Identifying and managing malnutrition in patients with COPD is vital.

Matthew Hodson and Samantha Blamires explore how nutritional screening and appropriate management of malnutrition can improve outcomes for patients with COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an umbrella term for a number of lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. There are an estimated three million people living with the condition in the UK, however only 900,000 are currently diagnosed (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2010). COPD is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for more than 28,000 deaths, 130,000 emergency admissions and 1.4 million GP consultations every year (NICE, 2010). Weight loss and being underweight are associated with poor prognosis and increased mortality, independent of disease severity (Ezzell et al, 2000), yet malnutrition is largely underrecognised and undertreated.

This piece was sponsored by an educational grant from Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition.

With so many new inhaled therapies available for treating asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), how does the busy healthcare professional make a prescribing decision which is safe and effective? 

There is widespread recognition that respiratory disease has been under prioritised and neglected for many years (All-Party Parliamentary Group [APPG], 2014). Those of us who work in primary care feel this is improving, although we recognise we still have a long way to go. We have welcomed guidance and guidelines that promote good respiratory care, as the patient, not the diagnosis, is key to what we do. 

The launch of a ground-breaking epidemiological study into lung disease in the UK has revealed some stark outcomes. The results of the three-year research project were launched by the British Lung Foundation (BLF) in the ‘Battle for Breath’ report on 27 May, 2016. The project aimed to compile a comprehensive overview of the extent and impact of lung disease across the UK, and is the first time data on this scale has been gathered since 2006.

In each issue of the journal we speak to general practice nurses and hear what they have to say about their role in primary care.