Foundations of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) in Primary Care

• What interstitial lung disease is and why it matters
• Overview of ILD as a group of conditions
• Impact of ILD on patients, families, and services
• Role of Primary Care within the ILD pathway

• Basic lung structure and gas exchange
• What happens in ILD (fibrosis, inflammation, reduced gas transfer)
• How ILD differs from COPD, asthma, and heart failure
• Overview of disease progression

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
• Autoimmune-related ILD
• Occupational and environmental ILD
• What Primary Care needs to know (and what sits in specialist care)

• Common presenting symptoms
• Recognising progressive breathlessness and chronic cough
• Red flags requiring urgent escalation
• Safeguarding and risk considerations

• Overview of diagnostic pathways
• Role of imaging, MDT review, and specialist assessment
• What happens following referral
• Understanding shared-care boundaries

• Symptom monitoring and review
• Oxygen saturation awareness
• Supporting medication adherence (role-appropriate)
• Vaccinations and infection risk reduction
• Post-diagnosis and post-hospital follow-up

• Fatigue, breathlessness, and functional impact
• Psychological and emotional impact of ILD
• Supporting self-management and pacing
• Signposting to pulmonary rehabilitation, palliative care, and support services

• Role boundaries for HCAs, nurses, and GPs
• Delegation, documentation, and communication
• Escalation pathways and safety-netting
• Working with respiratory teams and ILD specialist services

• Case-based discussion reflecting Primary Care roles
• Recognising deterioration and escalation decisions
• Applying learning safely in day-to-day practice
• Q&A and reflection

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.