To determine the proportion of general practices in Leicestershire, UK, with the resources to provide high quality COPD care. A postal survey of all 147 Leicestershire practices with postal and telephone follow up. The response rate was 65%. 45 practices (47%) had COPD registers, 44 practices (46%) had COPD protocols and eight practices (8%) had COPD clinics. 52 practices (54%) owned one or more spirometers and 13 (15%) had at least one person with current (within the last two years) approved/formal training in performing spirometry. Four practices (4%) had COPD protocols, registers and clinics and trained operators with current training. Very few practices have the resources to provide high quality care of COPD in the practice. Maintenance of current approved training for spirometry operators is likely to be a major and continuing barrier to providing such care. This may be best provided at locality level by intermediate care.