The pathway has been developed by the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST) and the Respiratory Health Implementation Group (RHIG) in conjunction with Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, to standardise the emergency management of 999 calls for patients with COPD.

Key Recommendations

• Confirm the diagnosis of COPD and rule out other potential causes of symptoms
• Identify red flag features warranting immediate conveyance to hospital
• Liaise with the local named respiratory contact for the Health Board, to manage COPD patients in the community, where appropriate