Doing More for Less
A discussion paper (July 2010) prepared by IMPRESS is available here.
Respiratory care has tended not to receive the same attention from policy-makers and commissioners as other long term conditions, but that is beginning to change with the consultation of a national strategy for COPD in England, and other respiratory strategies in the devolved nations. When published, it will be the first clinical strategy to arrive on clinicians' and commissioners' desks since the quality and productivity agenda has taken centre stage. This new experience and evidence-based discussion paper from IMPRESS aims to give local clinical teams some practical options about how to implement the respiratory strategy whilst meeting the quality and productivity agenda.
IMPRESS is a national network of practitioners from primary, secondary and community care, public health, providing and commissioning with input from lay and social care advisers formed by the two leading clinical societies for respiratory care in the UK. It aims to provide clinical leadership for the NHS to improve and integrate respiratory services. Whilst it has a special interest in respiratory care, it believes many of the messages are valid for other long term conditions, and indeed, given how many people have more than one long term condition, it is essential that they are. We advocate the formation of local clinical networks and envisage that this document could be used to stimulate debate about local opportunities and priorities. Some issues, such as misuse of oxygen, cut across primary and secondary care and several disease areas and could have far-reaching impact.
We should be grateful if you would use your networks to ensure this paper reaches the widest possible audience. If people find it helpful, they might like to look at our other resources (see www.impressresp.com), and look out for our guidance that will be issued in the next month on commissioning oxygen services - a step-by-step guide; using information; information on prescribing and medicines use and an introduction to social care.
Dr Tony Davison, Co-chair IMPRESS, British Thoracic Society
Dr Steve Holmes, Co-chair IMPRESS, Primary Care Respiratory Society-UK
July 2010