Clwyd West AM and Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar has joined the British Lung Foundation in their fight against lung disease by pledging to ensure that the latest arm of the Together for Health Programme – A Respiratory Health Delivery Plan becomes the driving force for change in making Wales breathe easier.
Lung disease affects up to one in five of us, but Wales now has its first ever national plan for tackling our unhealthy relationship with lung disease.
On Tuesday 29th April, Wales’s respiratory community welcomed the launch of the latest arm of the Together for Health programme – A Respiratory Health Delivery Plan. The plan, which focuses on major lung diseases such as COPD, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and asthma, seeks to prevent poor lung health, and ensure Wales has gold standard services for those living with lung conditions.
A major barrier to improving lung health is getting people to see their doctor earlier when symptoms arise. Too many people put up with being breathless and a having a persistent cough thinking they will just disappear. Delays in going to get checked out, can lead to diagnosis at a more advanced stage of the condition, limiting the effectiveness of treatments and their ability to slow the progression of the disease.
It is thought around two-thirds of people living with COPD today in Wales are undiagnosed (that’s roughly 124,000), and a third of those with the chronic condition end up being diagnosed via an exacerbation, which leads to hospitalisation.
Proposals in the plan include:
- Reducing the prevalence of tobacco consumption to 16% in Wales by 2020
- Ensuring that people with suspected lung disease receive an accurate and early diagnosis
- Providing, where appropriate, services in the community and closer to home
- Enabling people to take better control of their condition through providing appropriate and relevant information about their lung condition, as well as developing essential pulmonary rehabilitation programmes
- Supplying people with an agreed self-management plan to help keep them in control and out of hospital
The plan also aims to improve data capturing and increase the number of people accessing clinical respiratory trials in Wales – which can be a lifeline for those with respiratory conditions for which there are little, or limited treatment options.
Darren said:
“I was pleased to attend the event in the Assembly and join the BLF in their fight against lung disease. Wales has some of the highest incidence of lung disease in Europe, and is responsible for thousands of deaths each year. This plan seeks to reduce the burden of respiratory disease on the Welsh population. It’s vital its targets are achieved.”
Chris Mulholland, Head of British Lung Foundation Wales, said:
“We welcome the launch of this respiratory plan. Lung disease affects up to one in five people in Wales, and this plan needs to become a springboard for action to improving services for people with poor lung health. We look forward to working with health boards to ensure this makes a real difference for people with lung disease.”
For people with lung disease, or carers, the BLF’s Helpline 03000 030 555, is open Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, and offers offer confidential support and advice of living with, and managing a lung condition. People can also visit www.blf.org.uk for more information on how the BLF can help.
