Screening for COPD aims to improve early diagnosis

An initiative aimed at improving early diagnosis and management of COPD and reducing pressure on both primary care and A&E departments is offering individuals at high risk the opportunity to attend for spirometry assessment.

Patients can then attend a clinic for immediate management if a diagnosis of COPD is confirmed.

The COMET (COPD Targeted Management, Early Intervention and Treatment) service was launched in May in the Wirral by Chiesi UK and Ireland and Wirral Primary Care Collaborative (WPCC).

Rachel Voller, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Moreton and Meols PCN, said: ‘An estimated two million people live with undiagnosed COPD in the UK, with symptoms like breathlessness and chronic cough often mistaken for fatigue or ageing. These delays in diagnosis lead to reduced quality of life for patients, costly emergency hospital admissions and irreversible lung damage. The lack of resources and funding across the UK means diagnostics in COPD, such as spirometry, are not always readily available in primary care. By establishing COMET, we’re equipping the NHS and supporting patients to take control of their lung health, improving early diagnosis and accelerating access to care.’

Opportunities for early diagnosis of COPD are frequently missed. Many cases are identified incidentally, through initiatives such as the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme, or during emergency admissions for other conditions, by which point irreversible lung damage may already have occurred. On the Wirral, where COPD prevalence is 2.6% compared to the national average of 1.8%, the COMET initiative aims to address this challenge by proactively identifying those at risk and providing timely access to spirometry and clinical assessment for more than 1,000 people in the community.