Pharma brings some PANNASH to CCG

Six pharmaceutical companies have gone into partnership with Newark and Sherwood Clinical Commissioning Group to create an innovative project to improve care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

PANNASH, The Pulmonary Advancement Network for Newark and Sherwood Health, will see Pfizer, GSK, Boehringer Ingelheim, Teva UK, AstraZeneca and MSD work together with the local acute trust, community providers and patients to improve care services.

Lisa Green, Assistant Chief Operating Officer, Newark and Sherwood CCG said the “additional support and expertise” in working with pharma “can help us achieve our goals”.

The primary aim of the project is to help people with COPD in Newark and Sherwood to better manage their condition, access services closer to their home and reduce emergency hospital admissions.

The prevalence of COPD in the region is higher than the national average due to a history of mining in the area. It is estimated that there are around 1,000 people living in the area with the condition, but who are yet to be diagnosed.

In 2010, 227 patients in the region were admitted to hospital suffering from an exacerbation of their COPD. Many of these were readmitted as a result of their condition.

COPD plays an integral part of the QIPP agenda for Newark and Sherwood CCG. PANNASH will run until July 2012.