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Creating an integrated respiratory testing solution

Creating an integrated respiratory testing solution

Respiratory illnesses – including seasonal flu epidemics, RSV, Strep A and COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) – pose considerable challenges to NHS primary and secondary care providers.1 Recent figures released by the NHS show hospitals in England recorded 868,212 emergency admissions for respiratory conditions during 2023.2  That’s over 5.2 million unplanned admissions annually.2

The NHS can transform respiratory care – and Roche has the tools. The formation of Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in July 2022 provides healthcare professionals and leaders with opportunities to shape respiratory care and create solutions across providers.3

Creating an integrated respiratory testing solution that delivers benefits to the health system and to patients by combining the latest tools, technologies, and assays, customised for each care system is possible. Roche can help you transform your respiratory testing pathways.

The impact of respiratory illnesses

Overall, respiratory illnesses are the third biggest cause of death in the UK.4 During the winter, hospital admissions double, putting health systems at risk.2 The NHS records indicate that acute respiratory infections (ARI) are one of the most common reasons for A&E attendance.1

Seasonal flu, RSV, Strep A and COVID-19, increase A&E visits, antibiotic use and requests for laboratory and imaging tests. The increase in demand on the healthcare system places additional pressure on clinical staff and the increasingly limited resources.

Earlier this year, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) emphasised the importance of integrated care services for managing patients with respiratory illness.5 While the NHS has publicly committed to moving services to the community, Lord Darzi, in his recent report (Independent Investigation of the National Health Service in England), is clear that this isn’t happening.6 The proportion of the NHS budget spent on hospitals increased from 47% to 58%.6 In the report, Lord Darzi warns that “too many people end up in hospital, because too little is spent in the community.”6

 

Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) play a vital role in leading the local healthcare system’s response to winter respiratory conditions. Early detection and treatment are crucial for respiratory conditions – particularly among vulnerable patient groups.

The pandemic has accelerated the development of respiratory tests and technologies. Today, healthcare providers have access to a range of point-of-care (POC) testing technologies and high-specificity testing solutions for common and rare respiratory conditions that could improve diagnosis and patient care, potentially transforming how systems work. POC testing provided by Roche can enable respiratory testing to be performed nearer to patients, providing high sensitivity, specificity, and convenience.

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How respiratory conditions affect healthcare provision

In the community, respiratory infection can cause significant disruption through primary symptoms (such as bronchiolitis and bronchitis with RSV) and exacerbations of pre-existing diseases, such as COPD and other cardiorespiratory conditions.7

Several factors can affect the spread of respiratory infections. Despite being unwell, up to 50% of adults with influenza still attend work.2

Primary care often takes the brunt of managing increasing respiratory infections, with RSV leading to an estimated 487,247 GP attendance episodes per season.7 These patients can lead to significant resource utilisation, with those who go on to need treatment for ARI receiving an average of 2.5 prescriptions each.10

In secondary care, the greatest direct costs for ARI relate to hospital admission.10 RSV alone accounts for an estimated 17,799 hospitalisations per season, with 8,482 deaths.7 Influenza can cause system-wide impacts, leading to increased waiting times and pressure on other services.2

Roche Diagnostics tools and testing technologies

Clinicians want accurate and actionable results as quickly as possible, which Roche Diagnostics can provide. 

Our advanced respiratory testing technologies can be used in the community, in clinics and points of entry, in hospitals and for high-risk patients:

Roche Respiratory Solutions can assist experts in diagnosing, correctly treating, and discharging patients faster, potentially easing the burden on healthcare professionals and helping to reduce winter pressures. Roche cobas® liat analyzer delivers gold-standard PCR testing at the point of care. Clinically actionable flu A/B, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 results are available in 20 minutes. 


Roche cobas® 5800/6800/8800 systems aim to consolidate up to 90% of routine molecular testing into a single workflow7, enabling under-pressure lab staff to focus on adding value in other areas. Roche’s advanced cobas® Respiratory flex is a flexible, high-throughput, syndromic test that clinicians can customise. They can order respiratory tests that are optimised for different settings and can address seasonality, local dynamics and patient cohort.

Roche Respiratory Solutions can assist experts in diagnosing, correctly treating, and discharging patients faster, potentially easing the burden on healthcare professionals and helping to reduce winter pressures. Roche cobas® liat analyzer can rapidly diagnose flu A/B, RSV and SARS-CoV-2 in 20 minutes, helping improve patient management and provide appropriate treatment when required for patients while reassuring patients and healthcare providers.

Roche Respiratory Solutions can assist experts in diagnosing, correctly treating, and discharging patients faster, potentially easing the burden on healthcare professionals and helping to reduce winter pressures. Roche cobas® eplex respiratory system can perform rapid syndromic diagnosis, testing a single sample for 20 conditions and delivering a result in 90 minutes.

Your trusted integration partner

Roche is a trusted partner that provides the tools, technologies, processes, and people to help primary, secondary, and community providers design, implement, and embed respiratory pathways for adults, children, and high-risk patients.

Roche respiratory testing solutions are ready to be implemented across the NHS by a partner that understands the pressures you’re under.

We can collaborate with ICBs to embed and integrate testing solutions in the lab, clinic and community. Our in-house team can support your implementation by helping to create new respiratory testing pathways in primary care, secondary care and the community.

 

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Helping you transform what’s possible in respiratory testing

Rapid respiratory test results can help clinicians deliver treatment at the earliest possible stage, potentially reducing the risk of escalation, improving patient outcomes, and helping ensure appropriate prescribing.

As ICBs and ICSs face the challenges of winter, Roche respiratory solutions could play a vital role in supporting clinicians in diagnosing and treating patients appropriately and to potentially discharge patients faster. 

The strain placed on the health system by respiratory illnesses is evident. The diagnostic confidence provided by Roche respiratory testing technologies may help improve patient outcomes, optimise patient pathways, and target resources to where they are needed most and target resources.

 

Learn more about Roche respiratory solutions.

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References

  1. (No date) NHS Choices. NHS. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/clinical-policy/respiratory-disease/ (Accessed: 25 November 2024). 

  2. Breathing issues are the leading cause of all emergency admissions (no date) Asthma + Lung UK. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/media/press-releases/breathing-issues-are-leading-cause-all-emergency-admissions (Accessed: 25 November 2024).

  3. (2024). Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/ics-implementation#:~:text=The%20Health%20and%20Care%20Act,priorities%20and%20operational%20planning%20guidance (Accessed: 25 November 2024).

  4. (2024) NHS Choices. NHS. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/clinical-policy/respiratory-disease/ (Accessed: 25 November 2024).

  5. Mitchell, G. (2024) Respiratory groups warn of ‘insufficient’ workforce numbers, Nursing Times. Available at: https://www.nursingtimes.net/respiratory/respiratory-groups-warn-of-insufficient-workforce-numbers-20-02-2024/ (Accessed: 25 November 2024).

  6. (2024). Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66f42ae630536cb92748271f/Lord-Darzi-Independent-Investigation-of-the-National-Health-Service-in-England-Updated-25-September.pdf (Accessed: 25 November 2024).

  7. (2024). Roche. Available at: https://diagnostics.roche.com/global/en/products/instruments/cobas-8800-ins-2694.html (Accessed: 2 October 2024).