The Ex-Mining Communities Respiratory Programme is a targeted respiratory health improvement initiative focused on communities with a historic mining legacy, where rates of respiratory disease and poor health outcomes remain disproportionately high.
Working with local NHS organisations, respiratory specialists and community partners, the programme aims to improve respiratory health through earlier identification of disease, increased access to diagnosis and support tailored to local population needs.
Health Innovation North West Coast supports the programme through improvement, learning and evaluation activities. As part of this work, we are helping to deliver qualitative insight that will contribute to the wider national evaluation of the programme. By working with patients, healthcare professionals and local stakeholders, we aim to capture experiences, understand barriers and enablers to implementation, and ensure that learning from the programme can inform future respiratory service development.
By combining local delivery with shared learning and national evaluation, the programme seeks to build a better understanding of how respiratory services can be designed to meet the needs of communities experiencing significant health inequalities.