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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) causes approximately 25,000 deaths each year in England and Wales. An estimated 2.2 million people with COPD remain undiagnosed, equivalent to 13% of the population aged ≥35 years. It is a costly disease, with approximately 24 million working days lost through associated sick leave and £3.8 billion in direct costs from lost productivity.¹

To help tackle the problem, the Department of Health has published An outcomes strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in England.¹ This strategy aims to drive improvements in outcomes using the new REACT approach (see Box 1).

Five COPD-related objectives underpin the REACT approach. These are:

• better prevention
• reducing premature death
• improving quality of life
• improving safe and effective care
• reducing inequalities in access to and quality of services.

More detailed work is now taking place focusing on how clinical commissioning groups can ensure that their local patients get the best care from local services and national and local initiatives.

As stated in the outcomes strategy, the NHS Commissioning Board will draw on the newly published NICE quality standard for COPD,² as well as the NICE clinical guideline on COPD,³ to drive improvements in the quality of NHS commissioning. Further details on the outcomes strategy and quality standard can be found here; in addition, Dr Melvyn Jones, GP and member of the NICE Guideline Development Group, revisits the key priorities for primary care relating to the NICE COPD guideline (click here).

Julia Morris, Editor
julia.morris@mgp.ltd.uk

Box 1: The REACT approach
Respiratory health and good lung health Early accurate diagnosis Active partnership between healthcare professionals and people with COPD Chronic disease management (or good control of symptoms) Targeted evidence-based treatment for the individual.

References

1. Department of Health. An outcomes strategy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in England. London: DH, 2011. Available at: www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_127974
2. NICE website. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) quality standard. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/chronicobstructivepulmonarydisease/copdqualitystandard.jsp (accessed 9 August 2011).
3. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults in primary and secondary care (partial update). Clinical Guideline 101, London: NICE, 2010. Available at: www.nice.org.uk/CG101 G