The OSA Alliance
This site is aimed at healthcare professionals who want to learn more about Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), whether they are new to the condition or work in the sleep and respiratory areas. There is information to support primary care professionals with diagnosis and to offer help to those working in sleep centres.
What is the OSA Alliance?
The OSA Alliance’s role is to facilitate collaboration between experts across UK patient and professional sleep organisations. Its remit focuses specifically on obstructive sleep apnoea, where a united approach can facilitate excellence in OSA-related care, education and resource.
The OSA Alliance represents the following organisations:
- The Academy for Healthcare Science
- The Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP)
- British Sleep Society (BSS) Executive Committee
- The British Thoracic Society (BTS)
- The OSA Partnership Group
- The Sleep Apnoea Trust (SATA)
What is the Objective of the OSA Alliance?
To facilitate excellence in OSA-related care, education and resource.
Safety notice for the use of CPAP/ NIV masks with magnetic clips: information for patients and their household members from the OSA Alliance
https://osaalliance.co.uk/equipment-device-issue-support
Joint Statement from OSA Alliance – Philips Respironics
(in association with BTS/BSS/ARTP/SATA/AHS/OSA Partnership Group)
This is a statement in response to the Daily Mail article from 1st February 2024 (https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13023713/Phillips-halt-sales-sleep-apnea-machines-cancer.html) reporting on the problem with Philips Respironics CPAP Machines in the USA.
This is a problem which has been ongoing since 2021, leading to a recall and a halt in sales, in the USA only currently. While in the UK, there has been a replace and repair programme of Philips’ ventilators and CPAP machines.
Sleep and ventilation services have been working with Philips Respironics since 2021 to exchange devices and mitigate any risk.
In rare cases there has been a problem with the noise reducing foam in these machines that can degrade.
Other types of CPAP and newer Philips Respironics machines do not use this foam and there is no health concern regarding other types of machines.
ADVICE TO PATIENTS
- Continue using your machine.
- For further information please go to the Sleep Apnoea Trust website https://sleep-apnoea-trust.org/about-us/events/
- Philip’s Respironics CPAP devices have been recalled and sales halted in the USA, and a replace and repair programme of Philips Respironics ventilators and CPAP machines has been introduced in the UK as a precautionary measure whilst further scientific investigation is undertaken.
- Patients on CPAP can get cancer, as can the general population, but this does not mean the Philips Respironics CPAP devices which used the foam are the cause.
- The risk of not using your CPAP device, is, for most patients, higher than the risk of continuing to use the therapy.
- While we understand that people will have concerns, we ask that you don’t call your sleep centre but wait until your next scheduled appointment. If your concern is urgent, please email your sleep service wherever possible. However, there is no need to do anything urgent.
- This problem only affects Philips Respironics devices, other manufacturer’s CPAP devices, such as ResMed and Sefam, are not affected.
Please refer to the OSA Alliance website which includes statements from other manufacturers OSA Alliance Product Information
ARTP/BSS/BTS
These professional organisations strive to attain the highest standards for sleep apnoea patients in the UK. They do so by providing Healthcare Professionals with an unrivalled source of information, regular meetings/conferences and training opportunities. If you need to learn more about sleep apnoea, these are the organisations to visit
SATA is actively involved with them and provides patient input when required.
Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology (ARTP)
This is the professional guardians of physiological measurement and interpretation within the field of respiratory medicine for the United Kingdom. Drawing on a wealth of knowledge, skills and experience, ARTP is a collection of healthcare scientists who bring inspiration and quality into respiratory healthcare.
Often working with partner organisations and societies, the ARTP produces position papers, national guidelines and standards for good practice in:
- the performance of respiratory measurement, including closely working with industry partners
- the delivery of lung function and sleep services, including working closely with the Department of Health in formulating policy and in the strategic direction of the profession.
Furthermore, ARTP links with equivalent national organisations around the world to deliver global standards in respiratory healthcare involving respiratory technology and physiology (such as Assembly 9 of the European Respiratory Society).
An important function of the ARTP is the provision of opportunities for Continuing Professional Development and we organise many meetings and courses on a range of respiratory topics, and host our own Annual Conference. We also provide the only national, professionally recognised, qualifications in Respiratory Function Testing and Spirometry in the UK. Please visit our Training and Development section to see more about these.
Our Aims & Objectives
To advance for the public benefit the service and practice of Respiratory Physiology and allied subjects by:
- Delivering and promoting education and training programmes to ensure competence to practice
- Establishing relevant standards of practice
- Promoting research and audit
- Promoting advances in diagnostic, treatment and care of patients with respiratory disease
- Communicating with all stakeholders
- Representing the interests of practitioners at all levels
Contact details:
Website: https://www.artp.org.uk/
Phone: +44 (0)1543 442141
Email: admin@artp.org.uk
ARTP Sleep
ARTP Sleep represents and supports all healthcare professionals in the delivery of care, training and development of sleep physiology measurement and therapeutic services. ARTP SLEEP aim to design and deliver courses and qualifications to allow the Sleep workforce to improve their skills and knowledge.
Sleep Apnoea Consortium
Raising the profile of Sleep Apnoea nationally, and lobbying for improvements in funding, service provision and infrastructure linked to a strong PR Campaign aimed at key resources providers.
In June 2008 ARTP convened the Sleep Apnoea Consortium (SAC) whose Aims & Objectives are:
- Raising the profile of Sleep Apnoea nationally, and lobbying for improvements in funding, service provision and infrastructure linked to a strong PR Campaign aimed at key resources providers.
- To provide a professional body for healthcare staff (especially sleep nurses, sleep technologists and physiologists) to be represented nationally to promote training, voice workforce requirements and generally provide a forum for people responsible for delivering sleep services to share knowledge expertise and information.
- Supporting the delivery of the NICE CPAP Technology Appraisal that was launched in March 2008.
- To co-ordinate and act as a focus group for the interested parties in sleep apnoea including scientists, physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, manufacturers and most importantly patients
- To work in partnership with the British Sleep Society on issues which are of importance in sleep and respiration.
- To develop Standards of Care for the detection and treatment of sleep apnoea
- To work with the medical equipment industry members of the consortium, on a voluntary basis, to develop minimum standards for therapeutic and diagnostic devices
- To develop training qualifications for personnel responsible for the provision and support of sleep apnoea services
- To develop a Voluntary Code of Conduct for the detection and treatment of sleep apnoea services
- To develop consensus statements to respond to consultations, guidelines and recommendations from relevant organisations both national and international
Position Statements
Standards of Care – Mandibular Repositioning Devices – Jul 2019
https://www.artp.org.uk/Resources/0453a5b0-2a12-4b00-9ccf-21a44dcdf940
Standards of Care – CPAP Devices – Technical & Performance – Jul 2019
https://www.artp.org.uk/Resources/f7bf35c5-a2bc-46cf-9a92-4002928950c5
Standards of Care – Sleep Apnoea Services (Treatment) – Jul 2019
https://www.artp.org.uk/Resources/6ea7a254-bd67-4849-9b57-7ea9c505ff55
Standards of Care – Sleep Apnoea Services (Diagnostics) – Jul 2019
https://www.artp.org.uk/Resources/661049e5-07d8-432d-bb73-7f43b3ef2562
British Sleep Society (BSS)
This is a professional organisation for medical, scientific and healthcare workers dealing with sleeping disorders. We are also here to help sleep practitioners in the private field. We are a registered British charity and our ultimate aim is to improve public health by promoting education and research into sleep and its disorders
The British Sleep Society (BSS) is a member of the Association of National Sleep Societies (ANSS) which is a grouping of European sleep societies with the common goal to develop sleep medicine and sleep research. The ANSS is a formal body of the ESRS and represents the affiliated members from different European sleep societies.
Contact details:
Website: www.sleepsociety.org.uk
Phone: 01543 442156
Email: admin@sleepsociety.org.uk
British Thoracic Society (BTS)
Our Mission:
- To champion excellence in the diagnosis, treatment and care of people with lung disease and those delivering it;
- To influence NHS policy and services to help reduce the health and economic burden of lung disease;
- To work with, and support, individuals and organisations across the NHS and beyond who share our vision.
On 1st August 2020 we had 3,722 members. These are doctors, nurses, respiratory physiotherapists, scientists and other professionals with a respiratory interest. All join because they share our vision. Many also join because they want to make a difference. We certainly benefit from members’ active participation in our work, with around 12% of the membership being involved in activities at any given time.
BTS is a well-governed, open and democratic Society. We are responsive to our members’ feedback and aim to reflect the diversity of our membership in our governing and advisory Committees and other groups and activities. We involve the public and patients and carers in planning, delivering and reviewing our activities.
We are a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Our activities cover all of the UK. We seek to work collaboratively with others and maintain a global outlook.
Contact details:
Website: www.brit-thoracic.org.uk
Phone: 020 7831 8778
Email: www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/contact-us/
POSITION STATEMENT DRIVING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNOEA (OSA) 2018