“Without a diagnosis, people do not get the treatment and support they need to stop the damage being done to their lungs. And once the damage is done, there’s no going back. Diagnosis needs to happen early to keep people as well as possible, particularly in more deprived communities where there are high levels of COPD. People at increased risk of COPD are being identified through the lung cancer screening programme, which provides a brilliant opportunity to support earlier diagnosis for those most at risk."
Sarah Sleet, CEO, Asthma + Lung UK
Future Health
Future Health Research (FHR) has been commissioned by Chiesi to deliver a policy research report making the case for a national pathway to tackle COPD underdiagnosis through the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme. Full report will be available soon.
Encouraging Action
Knowing where people are being missed is only the first step. Earlier diagnosis also depends on people being able to get a breathing test and making sure they are then supported and referred onto the right care pathway. Chiesi is working with NHS partners on practical ways to find people with COPD sooner and get them the care they need. Explore our partnerships below.
The Respiratory Transformation Partnership (RTP) brings together NHS England, the Office for Life Sciences, 15 Health Innovation Networks and four leading pharmaceutical companies - Chiesi, AstraZeneca, GSK and Sanofi - to improve respiratory outcomes for all communities through earlier diagnosis and better access to care.
FRONTIER Hull (Finding the hidden millions: restoration of early COPD diagnosis for Hull Lung Cancer Screening Programme participants to optimise treatment and improve outcomes) was a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (now part of NHS Humber Health Partnership).
FRONTIER 2 is a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, building on the success of FRONTIER by bringing COPD care closer to home.
COMET (COPD Targeted Management, Early Intervention and Treatment) was a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Wirral Primary Care Collaborative to ensure timely COPD diagnosis.
BREATHE (the Best Respiratory Evaluations And Treatments in Healthcare Efficiency) was a collaborative working project between Chiesi and Fuller and Forbes Healthcare Group, dedicated to strengthening diagnostic infrastructure in primary care.
COSMIC (COPD Spirometry Management Supported by AI in a Community Setting) is a collaborative working projects and donations programme, supporting primary and community care NHS organisations with access to ArtiQ.Spiro, an AI-enabled software supporting spirometry test quality and interpretation.
References
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Knowledge Summaries. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: How common is it? Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/background-information/prevalence-incidence/. [Accessed November 2026].
- NHS. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) - Symptoms. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease-copd/symptoms/. [Accessed November 2026].
- Rose D, Ray E, Summers R et al. Case-finding for COPD clinic acceptability to patients in GPs across Hampshire: a qualitative study. NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine. 2021;31:8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7862661/. [Accessed November 2026].
- Asthma + Lung UK. Delayed Diagnosis and Unequal Care: The reality for people with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the UK in 2022. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/delayed-diagnosis-unequal-care.pdf. [Accessed November 2026].
- Department of Health. Service Specification: COPD Spirometry and Assessment Service. 2012. Available at: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F5a7cd4e2ed915d63cc65d190%2FService-spec-Spirometry-and-Assessment.doc&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK. [Accessed November 2026].
- Chiesi data on file
UK-CHI-2600788 | November 2026