• GlaxoSmithKline UK
• Joint Working
• Case studies
• DASH PBC Consortium

This joint working project was devised and overseen by Allan Stibbs, Business manager DASH PBC, Amanda Barnard, Lead Commissioner for Respiratory at NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent, Pauline Treadwell, Manager Community Respiratory Team and Richard Jarvis, Integrated Healthcare Manager GSK. The aim is to ensure the consistent delivery of NICE-standard of COPD care, to improve the patient pathway and to make more efficient use of resources.

The Challenge

The Deal, Ash and Sandwich (DASH) PBC Group, located within NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent (ECK) is made up of 8 practices, serving a population of 53,000 patients. COPD prevalence in the locality is above the national average, and NHS ECK has identified COPD as one of four conditions likely to dominate local demand for healthcare resources in the future. A focus on quality, innovation, productivity and prevention is critical to meet this demand. Therefore DASH PBC set out to support practices with education, improve integration of the Community Respiratory Team within Primary Care and implement practice level patient audit tools.

The project aims to:

• Ensure that a NICE standard of care in COPD is consistently delivered across Primary Care
• Improve integration of the patient pathways, leading to earlier identification of COPD
• Reduce COPD expenditure to make more efficient use of resources for future investment

The Solution

The partners have combined resources to implement a GSK led educational programme supported by an automated patient audit tool (POINTS) to help identify and optimise the treatment of at-risk COPD patients. The NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent Community Respiratory team will be fully integrated into the GP practices supporting patient management closer to home and driving adherence to NICE Guidance. The project was initiated in the last quarter of 2009 and all documentation is aligned with DOH and ABPI Guidance on Joint Working.

Outcomes

• Implementation of a validated Patient Experience Programme
• Tracking progress towards delivering a NICE standard of care in COPD
• Measuring the impact of the Healthcare professional educational programme
• Monitoring hospital activity levels for COPD

For more information contact Pauline Mooney Area Business Manager South East
Email: pauline.e.mooney@gsk.com

UK/PPM/0034/10 – August 2010