It is essential that ICSs are prioritising lung conditions and have the staff and systems in place to do so. Without appropriate governance and prioritisation, best practice respiratory care is not delivered, and those living with lung conditions face inequitable outcomes.
What the data shows
NHS England-led Regional Respiratory Clinical Networks have been disbanded in ICSs in the South East NHS region and the North East and Yorkshire NHS region. This means these ICSs no longer meet and report in the same way that ICSs in the other five NHS regions do (although the North East and Yorkshire ICSs have retained a similar function). Without collaborative oversight via formal Regional Respiratory Clinical Networks, there is a risk that best practice sharing and regional support systems are lost. We are interested to see how alternative structures develop and to work with ICSs in these regions to understand how they will ensure respiratory performance and outcomes do not decline despite these changes.
ICS governance arrangements for children and young people can be found on the Children and young people page.
What is Asthma + Lung UK calling for?
- To ensure that all those living with a lung condition have equitable access to high quality respiratory services, all ICSs should have a dedicated respiratory plan.
- Every ICS should have a Respiratory Clinical Lead to champion respiratory conditions and ensure they are prioritised, and we recommend remunerated posts with dedicated programme and administrative support.
- The Department of Health and Social Care should implement national minimum standards for ICSs as a fundamental part of the new 10-year NHS plan to ensure that all major respiratory conditions are diagnosed and treated effectively, with under-performing ICSs held to account.
Further information provided by the ICSs
There is currently a dedicated respiratory plan in the Joint Forward Plan but there is no system respiratory programme overseeing delivery of the plan.
The Joint Forward Plan mentions promotion of vaccinations for eligible respiratory patients, and improving monitoring and treatment of childhood asthma. The adult clinical respiratory lead is not a fixed area of clinical responsibility.
The Joint Forward Plan includes the Asthma Work Programme for Children and Young People. Respiratory conditions are included within Devon’s annual planning for 25/26 as emergency priorities. The ICS is currently undergoing a restructure and is in the process of appointing Clinical Leads.
There is currently a Respiratory Clinical Network plan in draft form. CYP asthma is also planned to be a priority area. There is a Long Term Conditions workstream of the System Change and Transformation programme (COPD is one of two key priorities in this).
There is no dedicated respiratory plan but multiple plans in different workstreams e.g. LTC, diagnostics, CYP etc.
The pulmonary rehabilitation lead is paid.
Although there isn’t a Regional Respiratory Clinical Network, the ICS is part of a wider North East + Yorkshire respiratory group.
There is a Joint Forward Plan but no transformation programme.
There used to be an adult clinical respiratory lead but respiratory clinical network has been decommissioned; forum is being run informally from ICS without admin support or clear line of reporting.
The respiratory priorities are outlined in the Prevention and Long Term Conditions section of the Joint Forward Plan. Each of the workstreams have milestones to support delivery. The Joint Forward Plan is complemented by published Place Priorities which include delivery plans for respiratory.
The North East and Yorkshire Region do not use the ‘Clinical Network’ terminology but the ICS does work with the Regional Team on Respiratory.
There is a clinical long term conditions lead.
Note: review dates refer to the page content rather than the data visualisations