ARNS and Soar Beyond unite to address asthma

Press Release

Soar Beyond and ARNS Announce the i2i Asthma Summit 2026 to Transform Respiratory Care Through Nurse–Pharmacist Leadership

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Soar Beyond Ltd and the Association of Respiratory Nurses (ARNS) are pleased to announce the i2i Asthma Summit, taking place in April 2026, as the first major joint event delivered under their newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The summit marks a significant step towards tackling capability and capacity challenges in respiratory care across the UK by showcasing the impact of a nurse–pharmacist clinical leadership model and supporting the multidisciplinary workforce to deliver high-quality asthma care.

Driving Sustainable Improvements in Asthma Outcomes

The Soar Beyond–ARNS partnership aims to strengthen the national respiratory workforce and deliver scalable programmes across primary and secondary care. As a flagship initiative within the Year 1 Action Plan, the i2i Asthma Summit will bring together up to 60 GP clinical pharmacists, generalist and specialist respiratory nurses, system leaders, and multidisciplinary professionals to build collective capability and confidence in asthma management.

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This summit directly supports the shared vision to combine:

• Soar Beyond’s expertise in workforce transformation, digital capability mapping, QI methodology, and the national reach of the 4,700-member i2i Network

• ARNS’s specialist respiratory nursing expertise, professional leadership, and national alliances

Summit Objectives

By the end of the summit, participants will be able to:

• Identify key clinical, service, and workforce challenges that hinder effective, guideline-led asthma care.

• Collaborate confidently across the multidisciplinary team to overcome stakeholder and service barriers to proactive asthma management.

• Demonstrate accurate inhaler technique and use this to drive patient-centred asthma care and adherence.

• Develop a practical MDT engagement and implementation plan to improve asthma quality and outcomes in their practice.

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Building MDT Capability and Confidence

Participants will also gain access to a pioneering digital competency framework for asthma management in primary care, co-developed with the ARNS to support sustained capability building beyond the event.

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The summit will spotlight innovative approaches to strengthening asthma care through:

• A nurse–pharmacist-led model of clinical leadership

• Best practice case studies from across UK systems

• Skills development aligned with BTS, PCRS, NICE, and national respiratory guidance

• Co-designed educational sessions delivered by ARNS and Soar Beyond experts

• Use of the SMART Workforce Platform for capability mapping and service planning

• Practical insights into service transformation, QI, and implementation science.

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This event aligns with wider initiatives including the Asthma Accelerator Programme, a six-month service transformation programme scheduled for 2026–27.

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Strengthening National Collaboration in Respiratory Care

Soar Beyond brings extensive experience in delivering structured training, mentoring, and digital workforce development programmes for pharmacy professionals across the UK. Under the MOU, Soar Beyond will lead the design, coordination, and delivery of the summit, while ARNS will contribute specialist clinical expertise, shape educational content, and support engagement across the respiratory nursing community. Together, both organisations will co-design educational resources and service improvement frameworks, supported by governance processes that ensure alignment with shared objectives and success metrics. All activity will adhere to NHS governance requirements and, where sponsorship applies, full ABPI Code compliance.

A Shared Commitment to Improving Respiratory Health

Tiba Rao, Chief Innovation Officer at Soar Beyond, said:
“The i2i Asthma Summit 2026 represents an exciting opportunity to galvanise the skills, confidence, and leadership capability of respiratory professionals across the UK. Working with ARNS enables us to unite clinical excellence with practical workforce transformation, helping ensure more people with asthma receive proactive, high-quality care.”

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Beverley Bostock, President-Elect Primary Care Cardiovascular Society, Asthma Lead and Respiratory Disease Committee Chair, Association of Respiratory Nurses Primary Care Respiratory Society Executive Committee Member, added:
“By co-designing education and service improvement frameworks with Soar Beyond, we can support nurses, pharmacists, and wider MDT colleagues to deliver consistently excellent asthma care. This summit will be a critical milestone in strengthening the national respiratory workforce.”

About Soar Beyond Ltd

Soar Beyond is a trusted NHS partner specialising in pharmacy workforce transformation and medicines optimisation. Combining clinical pharmacy expertise with innovative implementation methodologies, Soar Beyond delivers structured training, simplifies quality improvement, and accelerates clinical competence to turn policy into practice. Working with NHS systems and the pharmaceutical industry, Soar Beyond drives compliant, measurable improvements in the adoption of NICE and locally recommended medicines and empowers pharmacists as key prescribers to improve patient access and outcomes.

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About the Association of Respiratory Nurses (ARNS)

ARNS is a leading professional organisation committed to advancing excellence in respiratory nursing. Through national leadership, clinical expertise, and strategic partnerships, ARNS supports its members to deliver high-quality respiratory care and influence national policy and standards.