Delivery of Care

The Society works to support the delivery of high-quality respiratory care throughout the UK. In order to do this, we actively engage with the NHS England Long Term Plan and national Thoracic Societies, highlighting innovative models of care and good practice, sharing experiences and providing the opportunity to debate and learn.

A range of resources related to delivery of care can be found in the downloads and links sections below.

Resources and stories associated with delivery of care can be found here on our Respiratory Futures website.

Getting It Right the First Time (GIRFT)

Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is an NHS improvement programme. Dr Martin Allen is the respiratory workstream lead for the GIRFT programme. Further information including GIRFT guidance can be found here.

Respiratory Support Units (RSU)

The British Thoracic Society and Intensive Care Society have worked together to produce a guidance document outlining the standards of care and infrastructure for RSUs. Access this and other resources related to Respiratory Support Units here.

Specialised Weaning Units (SWUs)

SWUs are designed to enable an effective step down from critical care for patients who continue to require invasive mechanical ventilation, following prolonged admission. Read more about SWUs here.

Complex Home Mechanical Ventilation

BTS has developed guidance on the delivery of complex home mechanical ventilation (HMV), for patients with complex HMV needs and/or a protracted duration of ventilation (greater than 14 hours per day) and those receiving tracheostomy ventilation. Read more about this here.

Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) Virtual Wards

Virtual wards are seen as one practical solution to help the NHS cope with its current shortage of beds. Alongside frailty, virtual wards dedicated to looking after people with acute respiratory infection (ARI) are being widely developed in England. More information on Virtual Wards is available here.

7 day services

BTS supports the development of 7 day services for respiratory patients provided these are appropriately resourced. To prevent any further negative impact on the medical workforce it is important that such new service developments are properly planned and not imposed on existing working patterns. It is especially important that key support services and related professions are also fully involved in the delivery of 7 day services. Read more about 7 day services here.

Coding and Tariffs

Information on matters relating to coding of respiratory care can be found here.