Respiratory and Sleep Science – 2025 review results

Current priority areas

• 10 Year Health Plan for England: fit for the future
• Science in healthcare: Delivering the NHS Long Term Plan – The Chief Scientific Officer’s strategy

Stakeholder feedback

Feedback collecting through the Curriculum Library survey collected between January 2024 and November 2025. All stakeholder feedback is presented verbatim.

Programme

• I would like to provide feedback on the Respiratory and Sleep Science specialty within the STP. I feel that more specialty-specific content should be included during the university teaching weeks. Although the clinical rotations were valuable for understanding how my specialty fits into the wider hospital environment and patient pathways, I found that it wasn’t until later in the first year that I began to learn more in depth about Respiratory and Sleep Science itself. I understand that each hospital offers different experiences and exposure, but I would have appreciated having more diagnostic tests included in the first-year curriculum. Now, as a second-year trainee, I feel there are a number of tests that I am having to catch up on, and it would have been beneficial to learn and become competent in more of these earlier in the programme. Overall, I would have preferred to receive more specialty-focused teaching earlier on – whether through a longer or additional university block dedicated to Respiratory and Sleep Science – rather than having just one week each for respiratory and sleep. I believe this would help trainees build a stronger foundation before progressing into more advanced clinical work.
• Speaking for sleep, I feel the STP does not train staff to come out graduated at band 6-7 level able to do the role. The respiratory polygraphy being the highest-level entrustable skill versus PSG/MSLT/MWT and actigraphy being desirable significantly devalues the sleep field. There needs to be a greater emphasis on the PSG scoring component at minimum and the graduates should be able to do the role. This will devalue the STP outcomes and put greater emphasis and hiring potential for those with RPSGT or equivalent professional qualifications.
• Learning outcomes for sleep are almost impossible to achieve in Wales – with very limited access to MSLT and PSG etc.  This means students needs to go to England for training but there is already huge competition in England.
• Whilst a lot of the modules/training activities are relevant, I feel some of them are less relevant to routine clinical practice and what is available. For instance, exercise induced asthma assessments are routinely performed in our region, and so will be difficult to complete. There is also a move away from Respiratory Polygraphy to ACUpebble and WatchPAT, and wonder if an update to include the use of home/remote monitoring (i.e., spiro, CPAP etc) may be warranted. There’s a heavy emphasis on observations, where I think greater focus should be on clinical competence and preparing STP’s for what the role of a physiologist/scientist may actually look like post-qualification. For instance, how many physiologists/scientists actually interpret chest x-rays, however this may be the challenge of how different centres operate, but it would be good to see a greater link to community diagnostic hubs, and perhaps FeNO.

S-RS-R1 Introduction to Respiratory and Sleep Science

• no feedback received

S-RS-S1 Clinical Assessment in Respiratory and Sleep Science

• no feedback received

S-RS-S2 Advanced Diagnostics in Respiratory and Sleep Science

• no feedback received

S-RS-S3 Clinical Exercise Testing

• no feedback received

S-RS-S4 Ventilatory Control and Assessment

• no feedback received

S-RS-S5 Management of Complex Sleep

• no feedback received

Changes made

Module level changes

Programme level changes

• no changes made

Periodic review

This specialty curriculum requires significant change beyond the scope of an annual review.

Response – no

Rationale

Please provide an overview of the rationale for why the proposed changes are needed or why changes were not needed, with reference to stakeholder feedback.

Response

• I would like to provide feedback on the Respiratory and Sleep Science specialty within the STP. I feel that more specialty-specific content should be included during the university teaching weeks. Although the clinical rotations were valuable for understanding how my specialty fits into the wider hospital environment and patient pathways, I found that it wasn’t until later in the first year that I began to learn more in depth about Respiratory and Sleep Science itself. I understand that each hospital offers different experiences and exposure, but I would have appreciated having more diagnostic tests included in the first-year curriculum. Now, as a second-year trainee, I feel there are a number of tests that I am having to catch up on, and it would have been beneficial to learn and become competent in more of these earlier in the programme. Overall, I would have preferred to receive more specialty-focused teaching earlier on – whether through a longer or additional university block dedicated to Respiratory and Sleep Science – rather than having just one week each for respiratory and sleep. I believe this would help trainees build a stronger foundation before progressing into more advanced clinical work.
• There is an expectation that during the respiratory/sleep rotation, departments will work with their STP students to develop the skills and competency to perform routine lung function and sleep investigations such as full lung function testing. The outputs of the rotational modules are in keeping with those across the other rotations to ensure that it is fair to all students across the different disciplines. When in their host departments, students are not limited to only learn what is within the module and should look to develop skills across the range of investigations provided within their host department.
• Speaking for sleep, I feel the STP does not train staff to come out graduated at band 6-7 level able to do the role. The respiratory polygraphy being the highest-level entrustable skill versus PSG/MSLT/MWT and actigraphy being desirable significantly devalues the sleep field. There needs to be a greater emphasis on the PSG scoring component at minimum and the graduates should be able to do the role. This will devalue the STP outcomes and put greater emphasis and hiring potential for those with RPSGT or equivalent professional qualifications.
• Learning outcomes for sleep are almost impossible to achieve in Wales – with very limited access to MSLT and PSG etc.  This means students needs to go to England for training but there is already huge competition in England.
• Unfortunately the two sets of feedback above provide completely opposing thoughts with regards to complex sleep. This will continue to be the case for as long as respiratory and sleep are a joint discipline for STP. It has been consistently raised that it would be better for the learner for complex sleep and respiratory aspects to be seperated however the numbers of students does not facilitate this currently. I appreciate that the current programme does develop a Clinical Scientist that is competent in complex sleep. Maybe there should be consideration to a 6 month post graduate competency programme to support this, maybe with the professional body.
• Whilst a lot of the modules/training activities are relevant, I feel some of them are less relevant to routine clinical practice and what is available. For instance, exercise induced asthma assessments are routinely performed in our region, and so will be difficult to complete. There is also a move away from Respiratory Polygraphy to ACUpebble and WatchPAT, and wonder if an update to include the use of home/remote monitoring (i.e., spiro, CPAP etc) may be warranted. There’s a heavy emphasis on observations, where I think greater focus should be on clinical competence and preparing STP’s for what the role of a physiologist/scientist may actually look like post-qualification. For instance, how many physiologists/scientists actually interpret chest x-rays, however this may be the challenge of how different centres operate, but it would be good to see a greater link to community diagnostic hubs, and perhaps FeNO.
• With the move towards more community based diagnsotics there is a requirement for more senior staff to be more autonomous. A clinical interpretation of diagnostics requires a scientist to understand other investigations as well as clinical history, signs and symptoms to be able to offer diagnostic interpretation and manage patients within pathways. The current programme builds on this with training in areas such as CXR, MDT working etc. I have included more reference to CDC and neighbourhood clinics to make this more explicit in the curriculum as this supports the 10 year plan ambitions. I have also added techniques such as FeNO, home based sleep diagnostics and oscillometry as well as remote monitoring. It is important that we do not deskill the workforce and therefore multichannel sleep studies are still included as these will still play an important role in assessment of non sleep apnoea sleep disorders.

I confirm I have reviewed the Reflective Practice Guidance for ETAs and DTAs and have made any changes necessary.

Specialty Lead Editor signature: Joanna Shakespeare
Date: no date provided

Change control - completed by the school

Programme structure

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 8 January 2026

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) mapping

• no changes to learning outcomes, HCPC mapping maintained

Completed by: Chris Fisher
Date: 8 January 2026