Sarah Woolnough
CEO, Asthma + Lung UK
It’s no exaggeration to describe the UK’s record on lung health as shameful. There has never been a better time to give respiratory health the investment and attention it deserves.
The UK has the worst death rate for lung conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in western Europe. Lung disease is the third biggest killer in the UK, and the numbers of people admitted to hospital for lung conditions in England and Wales have doubled in the past two decades.
Prioritising lung health
While these figures are shocking, they stand to get worse unless the Government puts lung health at the heart of its levelling up agenda and gives respiratory research, care and disease prevention the boost it so desperately needs.
The lack of research investment is hindering the creation of more effective diagnostic tests and treatments for lung disease. Though more than 12 million people in the UK will get a lung condition during their lifetime, only 2% of public spend on medical research is on lung conditions. We think this is an injustice.
The numbers of people admitted to hospital for lung conditions in England and Wales have doubled in the past two decades.
Lack of basic care
Even before COVID-19 hit and shined a light on how terrifying it can be when things go wrong with our lungs, life for the millions of people living with chronic lung disease was getting harder. Many people with asthma and COPD weren’t getting basic care from their GP, nurse or other healthcare professional. Over the past two years, many people have watched their health deteriorate while they wait for care and diagnosis rates for conditions like COPD have plummeted.
The Government has made clear its intentions to ‘level up’ the country and tackling the huge health inequalities caused by poor lung health is the perfect place to start. Currently, people in the poorest neighbourhoods are seven times more likely to die of a lung condition than those in the richest. This could be because they are more likely to be more exposed to air pollution, which is linked to 36,000 premature deaths each year, as well as live in poor-quality housing and be exposed to cigarette smoke.
Creating meaningful change
We don’t want ‘levelling up’ to become a catch-all phrase – it needs to deliver meaningful change by focusing on the key drivers of health inequality. We are urging government to triple funding for respiratory research to identify new ways of diagnosing and treating people with lung conditions, tackle air pollution and ensure better diagnosis and care for everyone with a lung condition.
