Quality Standards for Non-invasive ventilation

The British Thoracic Society is consulting on draft Quality Standards for Non-invasive ventilation (NIV). These follow on from a previous Society Guideline on the management of acute hypercapnic respiratory failure and the publication of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death report on Non-invasive ventilation in the UK. 

The College fully supports these Standards which are sensible, pragmatic and achievable. They provide useful checklists for health care professionals, managers and health care commissioners to guide uniformity in the management of patients being treated with NIV.