Audit reveals continuing high performance of specialist centres

The UK’s specialist PH treatment centres are continuing to hit high performance targets, according to the results of the latest National Audit of Pulmonary Hypertension.

The tenth audit is based on data submitted between 1^st April 2018 and 31^st March 2019 and shows a wide range of targets being met or exceeded.

Every year since 2008, the UK’s specialist pulmonary hypertension centres have been asked to provide information on what they do and what their outcomes are, to ensure high standards are maintained.

The latest findings include:

• 96% of patients have a quality of life questionnaire recorded at least once a year
• 96% of patients taking PH specific drugs have had at least one annual consultation at a specialist PH centre
• 99% of patients referred to a specialist centre were seen, assessed and diagnosed within six months
• 97% of patients had a right heart catheter before being given drugs to treat PH

The PHA UK played an important role in setting up the National Audit of Pulmonary Hypertension by funding its first year in 2010. The audit is now funded via NHS Special Commissioning in England and managed by NHS Digital.

The PHA UK have summarised the findings of the latest audit in the winter 2019 issue of Emphasis. You can read the summary here

The full audit report can be accessed here

For the second year running the eight PH centres who took part in the audit have been invited to share their completed ‘local action plans’ with patients and the public by publishing them alongside the annual report. The plans describe how the centres plan to address areas requiring improvement and last year, six of the eight centres provided them for publication. To see them click here.

This year’s local action plans will be published as they become available over the coming months.