Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026

Update

The following notice was added on 14 May 2021.

The Respiratory Care Action Plan is not intended to replace any current clinical guidance and should be used as an overarching strategy for health and social care services related to respiratory conditions.  An implementation programme will be initiated in Summer 2021 to roll out the commitments outlined in this document, in partnership with the respiratory community.

In Chapter 1 of this Plan, there is reference to respiratory spirometry as an aerosol generating procedure (AGP). As part of the ongoing literature reviews for the National IPC Manual by NSS, National ARHAI undertake monthly rapid reviews to ensure the manual content provides the most up-to-date evidence.  Outputs of these reviews inform UK-wide IPC Policy and inform the decisions around the extant AGP list which is decided by the UK New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) and establish whether additional procedures require to be included.  View a nationally agreed list of AGPs.

Review of the available literature shows that spirometry is not classified by definition as an AGP.  This means that health boards and HSPCs can work with their local infection prevention and control teams to re-introduce spirometry utilising the IPC guidance contained with the Scottish COVID-19 Addendum.  View the Community IPC COVID-19 Addendum.