A pioneering project which brought together partners from across the Oxfordshire NHS has won a major accolade.

The Integrated Respiratory Team (IRT) rose above strong national competition to pick up the Health Service Journal 2021 award in the Best Pharmaceutical Partnership with the NHS category.

The initiative was set up as a pilot to improve the care of patients in parts of Oxfordshire through identification of respiratory disease, such as COPD and asthma, enhance holistic and end of life care, integrate mental health care and provide extra focus on people at risk of emergency hospital admissions.

Through increased partnership working, the team enhanced existing community, hospital-based and primary care by providing a consultant to work in the community alongside additional respiratory nurses and physiotherapists working with GPs, a dedicated psychologist, a pharmacist, a dedicated smoke-free advisor from OxfordshireCounty Council and a specialist in palliative care support.

Patients supported by the IRT reported improvements in their mental health and quality of life, while there was also an increase in the numbers of patients taking up a home exercise programme to improve their breathing. Waiting times for appointments were reduced.

People facing problems with damp or cold homes were better able to access services from the Better Housing Better Health Team tackle the issues. And nearly two thirds of people at the end of their lives were able to die in their preferred place.

The partnership included Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxfordshire County Council. Pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim was involved in discussions during the development of the project.

The project, which was jointly funded by OCCG and Boehringer Ingelheim, was staffed by NHS clinicians and other professionals from the partnership. Local NHS healthcare professionals provided all clinical care and support.

Paul Swan, OCCG Transformation Programme Manager – Planned Care and Long Term Conditions, said: "This award is a great achievement which recognises the excellent work across multiple organisations involved in the project and the high quality, coordinated care delivered by the multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals in the Integrated Respiratory Team. Well done to all involved and we will work to build on the successes of this project to deliver better care and healthcare outcomes for people with respiratory conditions in Oxfordshire."