ABSTRACT
It is estimated that there are three million people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in England (Department of Health [DH], 2012). However, only 900,000 will have received a clear and accurate diagnosis and are getting appropriate treatment to improve their quality of life and clinical outcomes. It is also recognised that premature mortality from COPD in the United Kingdom (UK) is almost double the European average. The outcomes strategy for COPD and asthma produced by the Department of Health (2012) indicates that current UK incidence figures are not always accurate due to lack of confirmed diagnosis, but that COPD is a major cause of death and many people experience severe symptoms often with poorer outcomes than European counterparts.
