Chiesi UK and Ireland and Wirral Primary Care Collaborative (WPCC) have announced the launch of COMET (COPD Targeted Management, Early Intervention and Treatment), aimed at improving early diagnosis and management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in the Wirral area.
The initiative aims to ease pressure on primary care and A&E services by offering early diagnosis and evidence-based interventions. Individuals identified as high risk of COPD are invited to attend a community diagnostic centre (CDC) for spirometry assessment and then a diagnostic clinic for immediate management (if diagnosed). These services will be delivered directly within the community, ensuring timely access to care.
Rachel Voller, Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Moreton & Meols PCN, said: “An estimated two million people live with undiagnosed COPD in the UK, with symptoms like breathlessness and chronic cough often mistaken for fatigue or ageing. These delays in diagnosis lead to reduced quality of life for patients, costly emergency hospital admissions and irreversible lung damage.
"The lack of resources and funding across the UK means diagnostics in COPD, such as spirometry, are not always readily available in primary care. By establishing COMET, we’re equipping the NHS and supporting patients to take control of their lung health, improving early diagnosis and accelerating access to care.”
COPD is not only debilitating for patients, but also places a growing burden on the NHS, costing an estimated £1.9 billion annually in England alone. The UK continues to have some of the poorest respiratory health outcomes in Europe, with higher mortality rates from COPD than in comparable countries. Despite the scale and severity of the disease, COPD can often be over-looked, meaning opportunities for early diagnosis are frequently missed.
Many cases are identified incidentally, through initiatives such as NHS lung health checks, or during emergency admissions for other conditions, by which point irreversible lung damage may already have occurred. On the Wirral, where COPD prevalence is 2.6% compared to the national average of 1.8%, the COMET initiative aims to address this challenge by proactively identifying those at risk and providing timely access to spirometry and clinical assessment.
COMET enables those with symptoms and/or CT scan findings consistent with emphysema to be referred for spirometry at local Community Diagnostic Centres before inviting them to the COMET clinic for a full clinical assessment and follow-up. Designed to deliver equitable, community-based care to over 1,000 people, the programme aims to equip patients with the support they need to take control of their lung health while also helping ease the pressure on overstretched GP practices and emergency departments in the Wirral, while identifying feasible approaches that the NHS can embed in the future.
The partnership builds on insights from FRONTIER, a hospital-based programme in Hull which demonstrated that targeted screening can tackle underdiagnosed COPD by improving access to testing and care. By contrast, COMET brings diagnostic assessment and management into Primary Care for patients taking part in the NHS Lung Cancer Screening Programme on the Wirral, expanding early detection and intervention beyond the hospital setting.
Harriet Lewis, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Chiesi UK and Ireland, comments: “At Chiesi, we believe early action is key to improving outcomes for people living with COPD. COMET has been designed to ensure access to diagnostic services is simple, breaking the cycle of delayed diagnosis and avoidable hospital admissions. By delivering care directly within the community, this partnership is integral to improving access to testing and care, easing NHS pressures and demonstrating how partnerships can drive scalable and sustainable change.”
