Advanced COPD Management in Primary Care

• Scope and expectations of advanced COPD care in Primary Care
• How this course builds on foundation-level COPD learning
• Patient safety, governance, and escalation boundaries

• Identifying high-risk and complex COPD
• Use of symptom assessment tools (e.g. CAT, mMRC)
• Interpreting spirometry and clinical indicators in advanced disease
• Red flags and safeguarding considerations

• Optimisation of inhaled therapies in advanced COPD
• Escalation and stepwise treatment approaches
• Role of triple therapy and add-on treatments
• Managing inhaler choice, technique, and adherence
• Understanding Primary Care responsibilities within shared care and specialist-led treatment pathways

• Frequent exacerbators and high healthcare utilisation
• Distinguishing disease progression from poor control
• Frequent exacerbator phenotypes and risk reduction strategies
• Considering long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) assessment and NIV referral indicators
• Indications for referral to specialist respiratory services
• Working with respiratory MDTs and shared care arrangements

• Pulmonary rehabilitation referral and optimisation
• Smoking cessation in complex COPD
• Vaccination, nutrition, and physical activity
• Managing breathlessness and fatigue
• Supporting self-management plans

• Recognising and managing acute exacerbations
• Post-exacerbation follow-up and risk reduction
• Oxygen therapy awareness and safety
• Recognising patients at risk of respiratory failure and hospital admission
• Safety-netting and escalation pathways
• Post-exacerbation review, medicines optimisation, and rehabilitation referral to reduce risk of re-attendance

• COPD and cardiovascular disease
• COPD and chronic kidney disease
• COPD in frailty and older adults
• Polypharmacy and risk management

• Impact of deprivation, housing, and environmental exposure
• Addressing adherence challenges
• Psychological impact of chronic breathlessness
• Personalised care planning and shared decision-making

• When and how to refer to respiratory services
• Working with community respiratory teams
• Managing care at the Primary–Secondary Care interface
• Supportive care and advance care planning, including escalation planning and symptom control

• Complex COPD case studies
• Advanced clinical decision-making scenarios
• Peer discussion and reflective learning

All courses are developed and delivered by experienced healthcare professionals with current or recent clinical experience in Primary Care and long-term condition management. Trainers are appropriately qualified and maintain up-to-date knowledge in line with national guidance. Course content and curriculum are subject to regular review to ensure they remain evidence based, aligned to national standards, and reflective of current best practice at the time of delivery.