North West London (NWL) has marked the launch of a major new national programme to transform asthma and COPD care, with local partners playing a central role in delivery.
The Respiratory Transformation Partnership (RTP) is a two‑year national programme designed to improve early diagnosis, redesign care pathways and increase uptake of proven innovations for people living with respiratory disease. The programme focuses on asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), conditions that affect millions of people across England and disproportionately impact communities facing the greatest health inequalities.
The RTP is co‑developed and led by Health Innovation Oxford and Thames Valley on behalf of the Health Innovation Network. It aims to create sustainable, system‑wide change by shifting care from crisis‑driven responses to more proactive, equitable and data‑enabled models, with learning that can be replicated across other clinical specialties.
Launched in NWL, with a visit from Minister for Health and Social Care Zubir Ahmed at Paddington Works, the programme builds on the region’s strong track record of collaboration between the NHS, industry, innovators and patient groups. Local health and care partners will be closely involved in delivering the programme, helping to test, embed and scale new approaches that can improve outcomes for patients while easing pressure on respiratory services.
For North West London, the launch represents an opportunity to accelerate neighbourhood‑based models of care, improve access to diagnostics and innovative therapies, and strengthen partnerships across the system.
The RTP directly supports national priorities to move care closer to home, make better use of digital tools and data, and focus on prevention as well as treatment. By improving respiratory health, the programme aims not only to enhance quality of life for patients, but also to reduce avoidable hospital admissions and contribute to a more sustainable NHS.
Speaking after the event, Associate Director of Strategy and Insights, Hannah Fontana, said:
“The launch of the RTP in NWL is an important moment for turning national ambition into practical change for patients. Respiratory disease places a significant burden on communities and services, and this programme gives us a real opportunity to tackle that challenge through earlier diagnosis, better pathways and smarter use of innovation.
At ICHP, we’re proud to be working alongside our NHS and system partners to support delivery of the programme locally, build on previous work we have led, share learning at pace and help ensure that improvements in asthma and COPD care are embedded sustainably across NWL, with impact that can be scaled nationally.”
A strong platform for partnership
As the programme moves into its delivery phase, Imperial College Health Partners (ICHP) will work alongside local NHS organisations and partners to support implementation, share learning and help ensure that improvements in respiratory care are delivered at pace and at scale across the region.
To find out more about the RTP, please get in touch with hannah.fontana@imperialcollegehealthpartners.com
