GP-led breathlessness clinic 'cuts steroid use and reduces outpatient appointments'

Posed by a model. Credit: Getty/simon2579

By Julie Penfold

Patients with breathlessness in one of the most deprived regions in the UK are receiving "proactive" care from a one-stop clinic that’s staffed by GPs, respiratory and cardiology consultants, physiotherapists and social prescribers.

Sunderland and South Tyneside NHS Trust’s assessment of breathing (ABC) clinic offers community-based support for patients which has reduced outpatient appointments, cut steroid use and boosted access to a timely diagnosis, doctors said.