Yesterday the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative, in partnership with the AHSN Network, announced which NHS organisations have been successful in their application to the Pathway Transformation Fund (PTF).
Following a very competitive process, almost £2.8m has been made available to 51 projects in integrated care systems, clinical commissioning groups and trusts across England to help them integrate supported rapid uptake products into everyday practice.
In our region, this includes five organisations using FeNO testing to help clinicians more accurately diagnose asthma increase through the use of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) testing:
Nick Clarke, Principal Advisor at Health Innovation East, said:
“I’m really happy that we had some successful applications from our region. On behalf of the AAC and the AHSN network I would like to thank everyone who applied. We received an unprecedented volume and value of projects and were delighted with the level of interest we received but sadly we haven’t been able to fund all of the projects.
“Even if your organisation was unsuccessful in accessing pathway transformation funding, we would still like to offer non-financial support to organisations interested in implementing rapid uptake products.”
– A fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) test measures the level of nitric oxide in the exhaled breath and can help differentiate between allergic (eosinophilic) and non-allergic asthma.
– The test is non-invasive, easy to perform, and results are often available within seconds. It should be used alongside a patient’s own clinical history and other tests to support a diagnosis of asthma.
– Measuring FeNO concentration in the patient’s breath helps support a more accurate diagnosis and ensures patients are prescribed the correct medication in the appropriate dosage. It can also be used to monitor a patient’s treatment.
The AHSN Network has compiled a number of resources and support tools to help improve the pathways for people with suspected and confirmed asthma. You can see them on the Wessex AHSN website here. You can also download and print off this document with QR links to the latest FeNO primary care resources.
The Rapid Uptake Products (RUP) programme supports stronger adoption and spread of NICE approved proven innovations targeting clinical priorities as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.
The 2021/22 supported RUPs are: lipid management, a NICE-approved clinical pathway to help reduce cholesterol; asthma biologics, a treatment for severe asthma and FeNO Testing, which aids diagnosis of asthma.
For the latest update visit the Accelerated Access Collaborative website.
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