Are you ready for the National Clinical Strategy for COPD?
The National Clinical Strategy for COPD consultation closed on the 6th April 2010. If the strategy is implemented healthcare providers will be monitored by how effectively they respond to this chronic respiratory condition.
To help healthcare providers meet this challenge, the British Lung Foundation has built on 25 years of experience and set up BLF Services Ltd.
The strategy has 24 recommendations, some of which our products and services can help you achieve:
Recommendation 1 - Work should be undertaken locally to identify where prevalence is high, and planned interventions should be developed to encourage behaviour change and help minimise inequalities - Our awareness campaigns will help you identify these people
Recommendation 2 - The importance of lung health should be understood and people should take the appropriate action to maintain good lung health - As well as our events raising awareness, our publications provide comprehensive information and our helpline is available to help support patients and carers
Recommendation 3 - The consequences of exposure to the main risk factors of COPD should be understood and people with early symptoms of lung disease need to be able to recognise their symptoms and seek further investigation - Our awareness campaigns get important information to people in hard to reach areas, we work alongside PCTs and smoking cessation teams at events to raise awareness of the risk factors and symptoms
Recommendation 5 - Employers should look to minimise the risks of workforce exposure to known risk factors and work with partners from health and social care to support people with COPD to manage their condition and remain in work - We are raising awareness with our workplace events and helping employers understand the benefits of keeping their workforce healthy
Recommendation 11 - Good quality information should be provided at diagnosis and delivered in a format that any person can understand - Our information and leaflets are available in a wide range of languages and are written using non medical terminology. Our leaflets and information are free, please visit the publications section of website for more information
Recommendation 15 - All people with COPD should be advised to undertake moderate exercise according to their condition. People with functional impairment should be referred for quality assured pulmonary rehabilitation - We encourage exercise in patients with COPD and we produce an exercise diary that is designed to be used with a healthcare professional for the patient to be able to understand the benefits of exercise and maintain any pulmonary rehabilitation they have at home
Recommendation 16 - People with COPD should be encouraged to learn how to help manage their condition themselves and how to have positive interactions with healthcare professionals and others about their condition. They should also be encouraged to engage with others who have COPD in order to promote exchanges of information, support and advice - We produce a self management plan for patients to help them manage and understand their COPD, it provides essential information in case of emergencies and many PCTs, GPs and Respiratory Teams use this plan with their patients. The plan also provides useful contact details as well as information on Breath Easy Support Groups where patients, their families and carers can get together for support and information.
With BLF Services at their side, healthcare providers can be confident of delivering top quality respiratory services and crucially, raising awareness of lung health across all communities.
To find out how BLF Services Ltd can further help you meet the requirements of the National Clinical Strategy for COPD, click on the links below or contact us
National Clinical Strategy for COPD
