PCRS 2026 The direction of respiratory care in primary care

Job description

PCRS 2026 Earlier, objective diagnosis: the direction of respiratory care in primary care Conference report by Charlene Mhangami & Ashley Pook, Vitalograph In September, the Primary Care Respiratory Society (PCRS) held its annual Respiratory Conference at the Telford International Centre from 24 to 26 September 2026. The conference is a key event for the UK’s primary, community and integrated care respiratory community. It brings together GPs, practice and specialist nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals for three days of plenaries, workshops and practical sessions rooted in everyday clinical practice. Over the three days, our team met clinicians from across the UK who shared the realities of respiratory diagnosis in their own services. These included delivering quality-assured testing in busy practices, building capacity in community diagnostic hubs, and keeping staff confident and competent in performing and interpreting tests. As an exhibitor at PCRS 2026, Vitalograph was proud to provide a space for these conversations: an opportunity to listen and to explore practical ways forward together, drawing on our team’s clinical expertise and decades of experience in respiratory diagnostics. Many of the challenges raised on our stand echoed themes from the main programme. Attending the sessions alongside exhibiting gave us valuable insight into where respiratory care in primary care is heading. A clear message: earlier identification and access to objective testing PCRS 2026 had a clear message for UK primary care: better respiratory outcomes depend on earlier identification, objective testing and connected community pathways. Across asthma, COPD and chronic cough, speakers highlighted the limitations of relying on symptoms alone. Use of quality-assured spirometry and FeNO reduces diagnostic uncertainty, helps to identify treatable traits and supports more personalised decisions. The approach to interpretation also matters. Results should be considered alongside symptoms, exacerbation history and functional status. For spirometry, greater use of lower limits of normal, GLI reference equations, and z-scores can improve clinical accuracy. Borderline findings may require repeat testing or further investigation rather than a premature label. Community diagnostics: a key enabler Community diagnostic models are showing what is possible when access, capability and pathways improve. One programme presented at the conference deployed 84 FeNO devices across 23 practices and assessed 2,090 people, identifying new diagnoses and opportunities to optimise treatment. Yet access remains uneven, and funding, workforce competency and quality assurance continue to constrain wider adoption. What this means for primary care For primary care, there is a practical need: build reliable testing into neighbourhood pathways, support staff to deliver and interpret tests confidently, and use connected data to identify higher-risk patients sooner. Software-based interpretation guidance tools can support quality assurance, interpretation and risk prediction but they should augment, not replace, clinical judgement with appropriate governance and clinician oversight. Earlier, objective and well-connected respiratory assessment can help move care from reactive treatment towards proactive disease management. Thank you to everyone who visited the Vitalograph stand at PCRS 2026. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s conference. Read more: Many of the themes raised at PCRS, including quality-assured testing, operator competence and coordinating spirometry with FeNO, are explored in more depth in Charlene Mhangami’s article, How high-quality spirometry can improve respiratory diagnosis in primary care. It looks at where spirometry adds most value, what reliable testing requires and how to build it into everyday diagnostic pathways. Talk to our team