The British Sleep Society, in collaboration with leading healthcare organisations, has published the Optimal Sleep Pathway, a new framework designed to address the growing challenges faced by sleep medicine services across the UK.
With rising referrals, workforce shortages, and significant service backlogs, NHS England commissioned an outpatient transformation workstream to modernise and enhance the patient pathway for sleep disorders. The pathway was developed with input from healthcare professionals, patient representatives, and national organisations, including the Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology, and The Sleep Charity.
The pathway highlights key challenges in sleep medicine and offers practical guidance for improving services at all levels. By incorporating patient voices and a wide group of professionals, the document aims to drive better outcomes, improved access, and enhanced patient experiences.
The document has been endorsed by the British Sleep Society, the ARTP, the British Thoracic Society, the Sleep Apnoea Trust, The OSA Alliance, Hypersomnolence UK, The Sleep Charity and Hope2Sleep.