Why is this study happening?

Avoiding unnecessary use of emergency hospital services is one of the biggest challenges currently facing the National Health Service (NHS). Many initiatives have been set up to try and tackle the problem and yet the number of people admitted to hospital at short notice continues to rise.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the name for a collection of long-term conditions that affect the lungs. It is one of the most common respiratory diseases in the United Kingdom and accounts for 10% of hospital admissions each year. Nearly a third of these patients are re-admitted to hospital within 28 days of discharge.

What are care bundles?

COPD care bundles could play a key role in resolving the issue of unplanned admissions. Care bundles are a way of ensuring that staff can provide a co-ordinated package of care to patients with COPD, at the point that they arrive or are sent home from hospital.

Although several small studies have shown that care bundles lead to better care for COPD patients, a larger national study is needed if we are to show that these findings are reliable.

Who is funding the study?

This study is funded by the NIHR, Health Services and Delivery Programme.

*Update February 2017: This study is now closed to recruitment*