Respiratory Diseases: Health Services

NHS England is responsible for the commissioning of interstitial lung disease (ILD) services, and funds the anti-fibrotic treatments that are part of the treatment pathway for ILD. The national service specification describes the standards required of clinical teams to support patients physically and emotionally with the diagnosis and management of ILD. Further information on the national service specification is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/interstitial-lung-disease-adults-service-specification/

NHS England is also supporting systems to improve outcomes for people with a range of respiratory conditions, for example through enabling access to pulmonary rehabilitation through the publication of commissioning standards together with the provision of funding. NHS England has also extended the scope of the National Respiratory Audit Programme’s pulmonary rehabilitation audit so that all patients who participate in pulmonary rehabilitation are captured in the audit, irrespective of their condition. Along with providing a more complete picture of participation, the decision to extend was made to recognise and reinforce the value of pulmonary rehabilitation to all who are eligible with chronic respiratory conditions other than chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including ILD.

The energy costs associated with using oxygen concentrators at home are reimbursed, however no decision has been made to extend this to other medical devices such as complex home ventilation, syringe drivers, electric wheelchairs, or other disability aids.