Dr Sarah Elkin

Dr Sarah Elkin is a highly experienced Consultant Respiratory Physician with extensive expertise in diagnosing and treating a wide range of lung conditions. Her particular interests include airways disease, such as asthma, COPD and bronchiectasis, as well as persistent cough, unexplained breathlessness and lung cancer diagnosis.

She is the lead for COPD care across Imperial healthcare trust where she is improving care for people living with COPD, from earlier diagnosis and optimisation of existing treatments to the introduction of new therapies. She is particularly involved in developing pathways for emerging treatments, including biologic therapies for COPD, helping ensure that eligible patients are appropriately assessed and supported to access these advances. Through her leadership of COPD Care in Neighbourhoods within the Respiratory Transformation Partnership, she also works to strengthen community-based care and supports GPs in delivering high-quality, evidence-based respiratory care.

Dr Elkin’s career spans specialist respiratory medicine, academic research and clinical leadership. Before studying medicine at the Middlesex Hospital, University College London, she qualified as a physiotherapist. This early clinical experience gave her a valuable understanding of rehabilitation, physical function and the impact of respiratory disease on everyday life. She subsequently specialised in respiratory medicine, undertaking doctoral research at the Royal Brompton Hospital and in Cambridge.

During her early consultant career at the Royal Brompton Hospital, her clinical and research work included cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis. She subsequently led the lung cancer service at St Mary’s Hospital for 10 years, gaining extensive experience in the investigation and diagnosis of lung cancer.

Alongside her clinical work, Dr Elkin is Co-Clinical Director of the London Respiratory Clinical Network, an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London and Medical Lead for ENO-Breathe. She works closely with GPs and primary care teams to provide respiratory education, improve diagnostic pathways and support the effective management of long-term respiratory conditions.

In her clinical practice, Dr Elkin takes a thorough and individualised approach to assessment and treatment, recognising that symptoms such as cough and breathlessness can have several underlying causes and significantly affect quality of life. Her background in both physiotherapy and medicine informs her broad approach to respiratory care, encompassing accurate diagnosis, appropriate treatment and the wider factors that influence patients’ symptoms, physical function and quality of life.

Through her clinical, academic and leadership roles, Dr Elkin is committed to improving respiratory care, promoting earlier diagnosis, advancing evidence-based treatments and strengthening collaborations.

You can read about Dr Elkin's researchENO-breathe work here: https://www.eno.org/news/major-new-lancet-study-proves-eno-breathe-programme-improves-long-covid-symptoms/