University of Southampton to help tackle UK’s respiratory health crisis

The University of Southampton will be part of a new national initiative to confront the UK’s respiratory health crisis.

The new Centre for Applied Respiratory Research , innovation and Impact (CARRii) is being launched today [Monday 24 February] at the House of Commons.

It will bring together leading academics, clinicians, industry experts, patients, and policymakers to drive cutting-edge innovations that will reduce hospitalisations, ease winter pressures on the NHS, and tackle alarming health inequalities.

Respiratory diseases are now the third highest cause of death in the UK. The UK has the highest death rate in Europe due to respiratory illnesses, and a higher death rate than the OECD average.

One in six NHS beds is occupied by respiratory patients and waiting lists for respiratory care have risen by 263 per cent over the past decade.

Lung conditions also cost the NHS a staggering £11 billion annually, with the hardest-hit communities suffering disproportionately; people in the most deprived areas are seven times more likely to die from a respiratory illness.

Over the next decade, and in alignment with Asthma + Lung UK’s objectives, CARRii aims to reduce hospital admissions for asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and respiratory infections by 20 per cent, and reduce health disparities in respiratory care by 20 per cent.

The initiative is led by leading academics from the University of Oxford, Queen Mary University London, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Southampton, amongst others.

The University of Southampton is co-leading two themes tasked with reducing NHS winter pressures.

The Reducing Risk and Infections theme is focused on improving and evaluating vaccination uptake, evaluating new respiratory virus threats, and testing interventions to address poor air quality and other environmental causes of respiratory disease, such as poor housing, smoking and youth vaping.

It will be co-led by Professor Paul Little . He said: "Respiratory illness is responsible for 12 million GP consultations annually in the NHS – amounting to 29 consultations per week on average in a general practice, but more in winter months. It is therefore essential to try and ease winter pressures, and that we investigate potential preventative measures robustly to find out whether or not they are effective."

The Optimising Clinical Care theme will focus on improving the quality, efficiency and accessibility of tests and treatments for respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD.  These improvements will help inform better pathways to early diagnosis and prompt, personalised therapeutic strategies.

Theme co-lead Professor Kay Wang from the University of Southampton said: “To improve the health and quality of life of people with respiratory conditions, we need to understand how to get the right treatments at the right doses into the right people at the right time.  CARRii provides a long-awaited opportunity for health care services, patients, researchers, policymakers and NHS Leaders to work together towards achieving this goal.”

Jim Shannon MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Respiratory Health, is hosting the launch of the new Centre. He said: “The founders of CARRii have worked closely with the APPG to improve respiratory outcomes through their innovative use of evidence-based data. CARRii will continue to drive impact, supporting key policy initiatives like the 10-Year Plan, community care, tackling inequalities, and easing NHS winter pressures “