The Midlothian Community Respiratory Team (CRT) were shortlisted as a finalist for the 2023 Scottish Healthcare Awards and we are thrilled that they were announced as winners at the awards evening at The Marriott Hotel, Glasgow on 29th November. The application for Asthma / COPD Project of the Year showcases developing an innovative approach to the use of data in Midlothian CRT with a focus on improving the quality of care for COPD patients in Midlothian through service improvements using data.

Respiratory disease is one of the seven UK life science strategy ‘great healthcare challenges’, with COPD among the most prevalent respiratory diseases and the third commonest global cause of death. An estimated 3.7 million people live with COPD in the UK, costing the NHS around £800 million annually: COPD results in 24 million lost working days and 1 million days in hospital annually.

Innovations optimising COPD management are needed to promote better health from early disease (where interventions could decrease disease progression) through to advanced disease (where hospitalisations are common). Innovative solutions have the potential to be both clinically and cost-effective. We should be looking for to these innovations to assist us particularly in the midst of the staffing challenges that we currently face.

A key challenge is how to best manage patients in the future using routinely collected data. Achieving this through innovative data driven solutions is likely to be clinically and cost-effective, improve quality of life, reduce early deterioration, and treat patients in the right place and at the right time.