Health Minister Welcomes New GP-Led Lung Health Service

Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed the launch of a new GP-led service to improve lung health in the Armagh/Dungannon area.

The innovative Early Respiratory Diagnostic Hub, based at Moy Health Centre, will serve thousands of patients from 23 General Practice surgeries through the provision of accessible and advanced lung function testing.

The new service is led by a Clinical Respiratory Physiologist and supported by Practice Nurses, GPs, Pharmacists and Practice Managers in the Armagh and Dungannon GP Federation which is funding the project.

Minister Swann said: "As a first point of access, the GP practice is where most people will turn to for diagnosis, treatment, care and advice. The Early Respiratory Diagnostic Hub is providing an innovative and vital service to people within their local community and will reduce respiratory admissions through quicker diagnosis and therefore better management of respiratory diseases.

"Against a backdrop of serious ongoing challenges, not least the impact of increasing demand and workloads for GPs and their staff, I must commend the Armagh & Dungannon GP Federation for its commitment to developing this important new service which will help to stabilise vital Primary Care services in the community.

"Through such welcome innovation, we are beginning to move from a health system focused only on treating illness to a system that provides holistic and proactive support to help patients throughout Northern Ireland to maintain good physical and mental health through prompt access to diagnosis and support."

The innovative Early Respiratory Diagnostic Hub will operate as a mobile unit, bringing the necessary equipment and skills into each of the 23 General Practice surgeries within the Armagh and Dungannon Federation. It will serve thousands of patients through the provision of accessible and advanced lung function testing.

Dr Deirdre Cleary from Armagh & Dungannon GP Federation said: "The Early Respiratory Diagnostic Hub will improve and shorten existing referral pathways in asthma, COPD and ILD by offering accessible diagnostic testing in Primary Care in a timely manner to adults suspected of having a lung condition. It will also help to reduce respiratory admissions through quicker diagnosis and therefore better management of respiratory diseases.

"The aim is to reduce the need for people to repeatedly attend clinics by diagnosing patients earlier, treating them more appropriately and identifying those who genuinely need referral into specialist respiratory clinics. All 23 practices in the Federation have commenced screening of their patients to refer to the Hub."