Timely and accurate diagnosis is critical for people presenting with symptoms of lung disease. Diagnosing conditions at the earliest opportunity means that people get access to the best available treatments to manage their symptoms, cure or slow the progression of their disease.
In order to improve the diagnosis of lung disease, the Taskforce for Lung Health has developed a patient pathway for use in primary care and has produced this policy briefing to outline the position of the Taskforce on the use of CT-first pathways, make recommendations for improving access to CT and provide an overview of the main issues with current models for diagnosing lung diseases.