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PHA UK Chair Dr Iain Armstrong took to the stage at a major health and care conference in June, as part of a panel discussing the NHS England Breathlessness Pathway.

He represented our community in the influential discussion designed to raise the profile of the pathway - which aims to help speed up the diagnosis of diseases like pulmonary hypertension. The panel session took place at the NHS ConfedExpo in Manchester, a two-day event to drive innovation and improve care for patients and the public.

Published in 2023, the NHS England Adult Breathlessness Pathway is a pre-diagnosis support tool for healthcare professionals, designed to improve the early and accurate diagnosis of breathlessness. It involves the use of Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) – NHS facilities in accessible places such as town centres that give patients access to diagnostic tests without having to visit a hospital.

The pathway aims to align clinical practice in primary care with guidelines, ensuring high-quality care and minimising variations across England.  

Research conducted here at the PHA UK shows people are still waiting far too long to be diagnosed with PH, with delays remaining unchanged for the last 15 years. We are committed to playing our part in helping to change this.

Iain is pictured with fellow panel members Sarah Sleet, CEO of Asthma + Lung UK; James Ramsay, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Sussex; and session Chair Alex Pinches, the National Lead for Community Diagnostic Centres with NHS England.