Resmed, a leading health technology company focused on sleep, breathing and care delivered in the home, has announced the launch of AirConnect Dx in the UK, a digital service-based solution designed to increase NHS sleep services diagnostic capacity and support faster access to diagnosis for people with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).
According to NHS England’s Monthly Diagnostics Data, more than 30,000 people are currently waiting for sleep diagnostics, with over a quarter of patients waiting six weeks or longer, delaying access to care and increasing pressure on clinical teams.
Resmed says that AirConnect Dx is designed to help address these challenges by enabling earlier diagnosis of suspected OSA, so people can start appropriate treatment sooner.
Early NHS service evaluations across three pilot sites, spanning rural, mixed and urban care settings, demonstrated the impact of AirConnect Dx’s fully digital diagnostic pathway according to the company.
The following findings are based on service-level operational measures:
- 90-97% reduction in referral-to-diagnosis time, from approximately 3-12 months under standard care to 8-21 days with the digital pathway
- 95-99% reduction in screening duration
- Retest rates reduced to 0-7%, from 10-18% within traditional pathways
- Up to 3x increase in diagnostic capacity using existing staff capacity
“Sleep services are under immense pressure, and long diagnostic waiting times can impact patients’ health and quality of life,” said Theresa Shapland, UK Country Manager, Resmed. “AirConnect Dx is designed to simplify and scale the diagnostic pathway by supporting NHS teams in moving patients from referral to diagnosis more efficiently, helping accelerate access to care.”
Julia Roberts, Respiratory Physiology Service Manager, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Bangor Sleep Clinic, said: “Implementing AirConnext Dx has transformed our diagnostic pathway. We have significantly cut waiting times and simplified the process for both patients and staff. Most importantly, patients are getting treated before their condition worsens.”
Kevin, a patient who was diagnosed through the NHS pilot pathway said: “When I was told I might have sleep apnoea, I stopped driving long distances immediately. As a programme manager for a large logistics provider covering the country, that had a real impact on my work and added hours to every journey. I just wanted to get it sorted as quickly as possible.”
Resmed says that AirConnect Dx is now available to NHS sleep services across the UK. The solution supports a streamlined digital diagnostic pathway by integrating referral, screening, home sleep testing, reporting, logistics, and patient support in one coordinated service under clinical oversight.
OSA affects an estimated 8 million people in the UK, a number projected to rise to nearly 12 million by 2050 according to a study in 2025. If left untreated, OSA can impact health and quality of life, increasing the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.
Dr. Mark Weatherhead, consultant in respiratory medicine at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said: “Demand for sleep apnoea services has roughly doubled since 2019 and we were just about keeping pace but only with a great deal of effort. When we piloted AirConnect Dx, our waiting list just plummeted. Anywhere that has a backlog and is struggling with their services, this is an option people should definitely be looking at.”
