Research by PIF member Asthma + Lung UK has revealed breathing issues are the leading cause of all emergency hospital admissions In England. There were 1.7 million admissions to hospitals in England last year for respiratory issues. Last winter saw more than 300,000 people admitted with breathing issues, including almost 90,000 children.
Asthma + Lung UK's report, A Mission for Lung Health, says the government cannot give the NHS the breathing space it needs without an urgent and radical overhaul of how lung conditions are prevented, diagnosed and treated. It is calling for lung conditions to be treated with the same urgency and focus as cancer and heart disease.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said hospitals are overwhelmed by emergency admissions for breathing issues, particularly during the winter and warned that "without urgent action, more lives will be put at risk". The chief executive added: "Without a bold overhaul of how we prevent, diagnose, and treat lung disease, the NHS will continue to struggle, and the cost will be counted in lives lost."
The charity says the government's 10-year plan is "a once-in-a-decade opportunity to radically rethink how we improve the lives of people with lung conditions". It sets out 9 key actions, aligned to the planned shifts in healthcare: from sickness to prevention; hospital to community care; and analogue to digital.
Read more about the report here.
Download the full report via the Asthma + Lung UK website here.