NHS England: Adult breathlessness pathway (pre diagnosis) pathway support tool

The pathway has been developed and coproduced by the relevant NHS England teams, primary care, respiratory and cardiac experts along with professional bodies, charities, colleges and societies .

The focus for this pathway support tool is chronic breathlessness presenting in primary care for acute and sub-acute breathlessness. Early and accurate diagnosis is critical to ensure the best outcome for the patient. Breathlessness is a common presenting symptom in primary care with numerous causes. A delayed or inaccurate diagnosis means people don’t get the treatment they need and can end up in hospital unnecessarily. The main aim of this support tool is to align clinical practice in primary care with guideline recommendations in order to provide high-quality care, optimise patient outcomes and reduce unwarranted variation for patients across England.

Access the NHS England Support tool