Substantial progress is being realized in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) project which is designed to standardize the administration of spirometry testing and the interpretation of results. The UK has been playing an active role in this project commonly named the European Spirometry Drivers License. The aim has been to develop standardized training courses for those administering spirometry tests and the issuance of Certificates of Completion for those practitioners successfully completing the course. The first Certificates were awarded in March 2014 to 49 individuals in Barcelona, Spain. At the same meeting over 100 attended the “Train the Trainer” sessions for the Spirometry Drivers License. In addition to England the training course is now being offered in Italy, Georgia, Denmark, Spain, Germany and Estonia. Written support materials, e-learning and a web page for the Spirometry Drivers License have been established on the ERS website.

In the UK the Academy of Healthcare Scientists (AHCS) has been modernizing the designations for career and training pathways some of which are respiratory care related. The AHCS now recognizes the following designations; Assistant (Certificate), Practitioner (BSc), Scientist (MSc, leads service) and Higher Specialist Scientific Training (PhD, Consultant grade). In considering credentials the AHCS hopes to work cooperatively with the AARC/NBRC to explore the issue of “equivalence”, and to explore the possibility of shared curricula and training modules. On a functional level the groups working together can explore the similarities and differences between AARC/NBRC education and credentialing and that which is offered in the UK through the AHCS.