The Respiratory Champions Programme is funded by a grant from AstraZeneca. Asthma + Lung UK retain full operational control over the programme.
Why respiratory leadership matters
Respiratory disease is one of the leading causes of ill health, emergency admissions and health inequalities across the United Kingdom. Variation in respiratory pathways, delayed diagnosis and limited access to specialist expertise contribute towards avoidable harm.
The Respiratory Champions Programme provides senior clinicians with protected leadership time to drive transformation across systems. Champions strengthen pathways, support implementation of national guidance, improve prescribing practices, expand diagnostics and deliver measurable improvement for people with lung conditions.
What the programme is
The Programme places experienced clinicians, including respiratory nurses, pharmacists, advanced clinical practitioners, respiratory consultants, general practitioners with extended roles and consultant physiotherapists, into Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) for one day per week.
Champions work across primary, community and secondary care, as well as acute services, to improve asthma and COPD care, expand access to diagnostics such as spirometry and FeNO, reduce unwarranted variation, support education and strengthen governance.
How champions deliver change
Champion activity is delivered nationally through two coordinated workstreams:
Workstream 1: Keeping patients well and out of hospital
- Embedding updated asthma and COPD guidance
- Reducing Short‑Acting Beta Agonist (SABA) overuse
- Improving risk profiling and patient safety‑netting
- Supporting winter planning and respiratory resilience
Workstream 2: Diagnostics
- Expanding access to spirometry and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO)
- Piloting innovative community diagnostic models aligned with neighbourhood working.
- Supporting the development of sustainable, quality‑assured diagnostic services
A consistent leadership model
All Champions work to a national leadership framework that includes:
- Engaging multidisciplinary teams and key stakeholders across primary, community and acute care
- Upskilling the workforce through education, coaching and competency support
- Reviewing local pathways and aligning them with national guidelines
- Strengthening governance and reducing unwarranted variation
- Proven interventions are shared nationally to support rapid adoption.
Externally evaluated, scalable and growing
The Programme has been independently evaluated in its first year. The evaluation confirmed strong cross‑system engagement, improved pathway consistency, reductions in unwarranted variation, and clear evidence that the model is scalable and adaptable across diverse settings.
All champions report significant leadership and recognition enhancement with this role which the A+LUK branding has accelerated.
Year two focuses on national-level expansion, building on successful spread of diagnostic models, prescribing improvement programmes and workforce training. The long‑term ambition is clear: more Champions in more areas, delivering consistent, high‑quality respiratory care.
Programme impact at a glance
- Significant reductions in Short‑Acting Beta Agonist (SABA) over‑prescribing i.e. SABA mono-prescribing reduced by 4.1 – 7.2% between June to August 2025, across all six RC ICSs, indicating safer asthma care.
- More than 1,500 healthcare professionals trained in one Integrated Care System (ICS), with hundreds exceeded in all areas.
- Expanded access to diagnostics. One champion supported the development and piloted a multineighbourhood respiratory review service, expanding access to both diagnostic assessment and wider respiratory support.
- Community initiatives reducing outpatient appointments by 23–30%
- Stronger governance and aligned pathways across systems
- Proven models scaled and replicated nationally
To learn more about the clinicians driving this work and the impact they’re delivering across systems, see the Respiratory Champions + Outcomes page.
What's next
Future investment will support:
- Consistent implementation of asthma and COPD pathways across England
- Scaling diagnostic models including spirometry, FeNO and post‑exacerbation tools
- Growing the number of Champions and expanding the Programme into new areas
- Strengthening primary care capability and reducing emergency demand
- Improving long‑term outcomes, sustainability and equity in respiratory care
The Respiratory Champions project is managed by Claire Fisher, Respiratory Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner. If you have any questions about the programme, please contact her via cfisher@asthmaandlung.org.uk.