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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease National Service Framework

  • Last modified date:
    13 August 2007
  • Gateway reference:
    8059

On 28 June 2006, the Secretary of State announced that a National Service Framework (NSF) should be developed for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) following recommendations published in the CMO's Annual Report 2004.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an umbrella term covering a range of conditions including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It is a long term condition that leads to damaged airways, causing them to become narrow, making it harder for air to get in and out of the lungs. There is no cure for COPD, but it can be managed through drug therapy.

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Development of the National Service Framework

The development of a National Service Framework for COPD will result in new quality requirements and markers of good practice. It will improve the quality of and access to COPD services, reducing inequalities and lead to a reduction in NHS costs.

To ensure that the NSF meets the needs of COPD patients and their carers an External Reference Group has been established, bringing together health professionals, service users and carers and health service managers, to advise on the development of the framework. It is being jointly chaired by Professor Peter Calverley (President of the British Thoracic Society), and Professor Sue Hill (Chief Scientific Officer at the Department of Health).

The recommendations produced by the ERG for the NSF will be:

  • based upon robust epidemiological and clinical evidence or, where a robust evidence base does not exist, built on the best evidence available plus a broad consensus on best practice
  • affordable and offer best value for money in the use of resources
  • set within the context of other policy initiatives
  • focused primarily within the NHS, but also link across to social care, housing, employment and other relevant policy areas.

The COPD NSF will include:

  • a set of aims (the vision)
  • a number of quality requirements (QRs) - patient and outcome focussed
  • markers of good -ractice (MGPs) to back up the quality requirements

The COPD NSF will:

  • provide more patient choice
  • reduce inequalities in COPD care
  • reduce healthcare utilisation costs
  • ensure that all people involved in caring for COPD patients (GP staff, hospital staff, social services) work together to help the patient.
  • a patient focussed care pathway mapping how services for people with COPD are currently delivered and how this might be improved from stakeholders’ perspectives.
  • outcome measures for monitoring and measuring progress towards and achievement of the quality requirements.

The ERG will produce final advice by Winter 2007. The NSF for COPD will be published in 2008 and implementation will take place from 2009.

We are keen to hear your views on the NSF

Please send any comments to the COPD mailbox address:

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