Mobile respiratory units: a solution to alleviate emergency hospital admissions

A new report published by Asthma + Lung UK has found that breathing issues are the leading cause of all emergency admissions, causing 1.7 million admissions to hospitals in England last year.*

The report, A mission for lung health, calls for urgent government action to prioritise the prevention and early intervention of respiratory conditions to reduce emergency admissions into hospital, save lives, and ease the strain on the NHS. The charity also highlights that a record number of people with asthma or COPD are not receiving the five aspects of lung care needed to maintain their health, such as including vaccinations and smoking cessation support. 

Key report findings include**:

- Breathing issues are responsible for 1 in 8 emergency admissions in England, higher than heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions and cancer

- Mortality rates for asthma, COPD, and lung cancer show the largest disparities between the most and least deprived communities

- The UK has the worst death rate for lung conditions in Europe, causing 66,524 deaths each year

At EMS Healthcare, our mobile units offer an innovative solution to support the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of respiratory illnesses both within hospital estates, and community settings. We offer clinical space to deliver COPD awareness programmes, stop smoking support, and mobile vaccination services for seasonal immunisations, such as RSV and flu. 

We can help with:

• Improving access to healthcare services with appointments in the heart of communities
• Reducing hospital admissions with patients receiving same day access to care out of hospital
• Increasing capacity and boosting resilience of primary and secondary care services 

By preventing emergency admissions and offering early intervention within accessible settings, our mobile units enable the NHS to reallocate resources to more critical care and ultimately, more lives being saved.

Mobile clinics to relieve primary and secondary care pressures

Working alongside Provide Community in collaboration with Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB), our mobile outreach clinic is providing health checks, alongside other essential diagnostic tests, including spirometry and lung function testing. 

To address growing demands in primary care, Procare Health Limited deployed a mobile Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) hub to support GP Practices across Waverley and Guilford. Deployed within just 10 days, the mobile hub increased clinical capacity and convenient access to care for patients in the heart of communities, creating additional face-to-face appointments slots closer to home.

Chief Operating Officer for Procare Health Ltd, Jane Fagan, said: “Using a mobile respiratory hub has enabled us to access the heart of communities and offer additional on-the-day appointments. Patients can come on board and receive an excellent clinical experience for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, which helps to ease pressure on primary care and busy GP surgeries across the region.”

Reaching underserved communities to reduce health inequalities

Lung conditions are the most closely linked conditions to deprivation, with those from the most deprived communities five times more likely to die from COPD and three times more likely to die from asthma compared to those in the least deprived, and twice as likely to experience an emergency respiratory admission in winter.*

Our mobile respiratory units help tackle this disparity by bringing essential diagnostic and treatment services directly into underserved communities. Positioned in accessible locations, these units reduce barriers such as long travel distances and limited appointment availability, enabling people who might otherwise go untreated to receive timely care. By reaching those in greatest need, our mobile units support early intervention, helping to reduce the health gap and create lasting positive impacts where they are needed most.

Increasing capacity for respiratory appointments

We previously supported Respiratory Innovation Wales with their #BreatheBetterHub, which helped to increase respiratory care capacity in accessible locations, such as leisure centres and supermarket car parks.

Dr Philip Webb, Chief Executive of Respiratory Innovation Wales, said: "We are seeing 3 to 4 times more patients than a Health Board would in a hospital setting, because of the community location."

With the collaborative support of Hywel Dda University Health Board, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Life Sciences Hub Wales, the project helped to reach underserved populations and offer an increase in convenience for patients who didn't attend previous appointments due to fear COVID-19 transmissions and travelling long distances.

Planning ahead for winter

As Healthcare systems prepare for winter, our mobile units offer flexible and scalable support to manage peak demand. By improving patient access to diagnostics and respiratory care, we can help to reduce hospital admissions and improve health outcomes.

Through our ongoing partnerships with NHS trusts, health boards and independent providers, we remain committed to creating a future where good health is within everyone's reach. 

It's not too late to make preparations for winter. Find out more about how we can help you to expand care capacity, by contacting us directly or visiting our website.

Sources:

*https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/media/press-releases/breathing-issues-are-leading-cause-all-emergency-admissions

** https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/support-us/mission-lung-health