Acute Respiratory Infection Hub - NHS Black Country ICB

The procurement contact named on the official notice.

Acute respiratory infection (ARI), comprising of all viral and bacterial upper/lower respiratory tract infections, are one of the most common reasons for ED attendance (Hospital accident and emergency activity, 2022-23 – NHS Digital).<br/><br/>The Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme national specialty respiratory report (March 2021) states that respiratory problems were among the most common reasons for general practice consultations and for acute hospital admissions even prior to COVID-19, and that admissions are growing at around 13% annually.<br/><br/>Patient access to GP appointments continues to be a challenge nationally and locally.

Several factors have increased demand despite increased capacity, including an aging population, more complex patients, and increasing numbers of patients being managed in the community rather than in secondary care services.