National guidelines  

BTS statement on criteria for specialist referral, admission, discharge and follow-up for adults with respiratory disease
Thorax 2008;63(Suppl I):i1–i16. doi:10.1136/thx.2007.087627

Download the Statement here

2008 British Guideline on the Management of Asthma
The new edition of the BTS/SIGN British Guideline on the Management of Asthma was published in the May 2008 issue of Thorax. The new 2008 guideline contains a completely rewritten section on diagnosis for both adults and children; a section on special situations which includes occupational asthma, asthma in pregnancy and the new topic of difficult asthma; updated sections on pharmacological and non-pharmacological management; and amalgamated sections on patient education and compliance, and on organisation of care and audit.

You can download a copy of the BTS/SIGN guideline here

COPD
The NICE clinical guideline for COPD www.nice.org.uk/guidance/index.jsp

The BTS COPD Consortium has produced a number of additional best practice examples.
Click here

National Knowledge Week for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2008
http://www.library.nhs.uk/respiratory/ViewResource.aspx?resID=278340&tabID=290&catID=5880 
This information has been prepared by members of the COPD National Service Framework External Reference Group, as part of their work in developing advice for Ministers on the content of a National Service Framework for people with COPD. It is based on a review of the evidence base undertaken by Kleijnen Systematic Reviews. The evidence bas is published in a seperate document within the National Knowledge Week, and where possible we have linked to full texts or absracts.

The advice from the COPD External Reference Group will be presented to Ministers in February 2008. During 2008 the Department of Health will be carrying out an economic assessment of the recommendations and writing the National Service Framework, which will be published at the end of 2008.

Pulmonary rehabilitation
IMPRESS has produced a document outlining key standards for pulmonary rehabilitation. 

Download document here

There are a number of other useful sources of information about pulmonary rehabiltation:

• NICE commissining guides, that includes links to the NICE COPD guidance:
  Click here 

There is also information avilable at NHS choices: www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/Pages/Rehabilitation.aspx

The BTS COPD Consortium has also produced a guide for patients.

Download document here

Assisted discharge
NICE commissioning guide:
Click here