Respiratory disease silently shapes the reality of the NHS every day.
Sponsored and written by
Although it does not receive the same political attention as other major conditions like cardiovascular disease and cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma remain among the leading causes of emergency admissions and winter pressures across England.[1],[2],[3] The burden is growing, driven by an ageing population, environmental exposure, and persistent health inequities linked to socioeconomic deprivation, geography, language, and health literacy.[4],[5]
Yet behind these pressures is also a major opportunity. Too many people fall through the gaps created by fragmented pathways between primary, secondary, and community care – gaps that lead to delayed or missed diagnoses, preventable exacerbations, and avoidable hospital admissions.[6],[7] We know that earlier, more accurate diagnosis and proactive long‑term management can transform quality of life and reduce hospital demand.[7],[8] Two million people are thought to be living with undiagnosed COPD in the UK,[1] and the economic consequences of poor lung health extend far beyond the NHS to lost productivity and wider societal costs.[9]
The NHS is already signalling its intention to shift from reactive care to prevention‑focused, community‑based models.[10] Respiratory services represent one of the clearest places to accelerate that shift. Incremental improvements will not be enough; we need meaningful redesign and sustained collaboration to ensure consistent, equitable access to diagnostics, innovative treatments and coordinated support close to home.
That is why the Respiratory Transformation Partnership matters. This new national coalition – bringing together the NHS, the Office for Life Sciences, health innovation networks, patient groups, and four major industry partners, including Sanofi – represents a deliberate, system-level investment in how respiratory care is designed, delivered, and scaled across the NHS. This marks a step change from fragmented pilots to coordinated national transformation.
Through the Pathway Transformation Fund – a dedicated national funding mechanism within the RTP – the partnership will support ambitious local projects to reshape respiratory pathways and scale evidence‑based models. These projects will enable earlier and more accurate diagnosis. Its goal is simple but transformative: reduce avoidable admissions, improve patient outcomes, and create a scalable blueprint for innovation adoption across the NHS, not just isolated successes.
The RTP has been designed to build sustainable change – beyond its initial two-year period – that strengthens neighbourhood‑level care, supports the workforce, improves access to advanced therapies, and ultimately helps people stay well and in work. It reflects what can be achieved when the NHS and industry commit to delivering innovation together at scale – transparent, nationally governed, and focused entirely on patient benefit.
As a partner in the RTP, Sanofi is proud to invest in and support this collective effort. Our role, alongside clinicians, commissioners and system leaders, is to help close gaps, embed guideline‑led care, and bring forward innovations that make a tangible difference for people living with asthma and COPD.
If we get this right, we won’t just relieve pressure on hospitals. We will build a fairer, more proactive and more resilient respiratory care system that gives every patient – regardless of postcode or background – the support they need long before crisis point. The momentum behind long‑term reform is welcome, but we cannot wait for system‑wide change alone. Now is the moment for action on both fronts.
MAT-XU-2601197 V1.0 April 2026
References
1 NICE (2025). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: How common is it? Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/background-information/prevalence-incidence/. Last accessed: April 2026
2 King’s Health Partners (2024). Reducing COPD flare-ups in winter. Available at: https://www.kingshealthpartners.org/latest/reducing-copd-flare-ups-winter Last accessed: April 2026
3 Asthma + Lung UK (2024). Breathing issues are the leading cause of all emergency admissions. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/media/press-releases/breathing-issues-are-leading-cause-all-emergency-admissions Last accessed: April 2026
4 Purdy S., Griffin T., Salisbury C., Sharp D. (2011). Emergency respiratory admissions: influence of practice, population and hospital factors. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21719477/ Last accessed: April 2026
5 NICE (2025). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: What are the risk factors? Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/background-information/risk-factors/ Last accessed: April 2026
6 Asthma + Lung UK (2022). Delayed Diagnosis and Unequal Care. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/world-copd-day/delayed-diagnosis-unequal-care Last accessed: April 2026
7 NHS Hull University Teaching Hospitals (2024). Respiratory project identifies significant undiagnosed COPD. Available at: https://www.hey.nhs.uk/news/2024/09/11/respiratory-project-identifies-significant-undiagnosed-copd/ Last accessed: April 2026
8 NHS England (n.d.). Respiratory high impact interventions. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/prevention/secondary-prevention/respiratory-high-impact-interventions/ Last accessed: April 2026
9 Asthma + Lung UK (2019). The true cost of lung conditions. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/our-research-impact/pushing-better-research-lung-conditions/true-cost-lung-conditions. Last accessed: April 2026
10 NHS England (2025). Neighbourhood health guidelines 2025/26. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/neighbourhood-health-guidelines-2025-26/ Last accessed: April 2026
