Years of lung health neglect is suffocating the NHS, with a ‘staggering’ 1.7 million admissions to hospitals in England last year for respiratory issues, a charity has warned.
An analysis by Asthma + Lung UK has revealed that breathing issues are now the leading cause of all emergency admissions in England.
The charity is calling for lung conditions, the third biggest killer in the UK, to be treated by the NHS with the same urgency and focus as cancer and heart disease.
Last winter saw more than 300,000 people admitted with breathing issues, including almost 90,000 children, the report, ‘A Mission for Lung Health’, said.
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Breathing issues were responsible for one in eight emergency admissions in England (13%), higher than heart disease, musculoskeletal conditions and cancer.
To tackle the burden breathing issues heap on the NHS during winter, a more proactive, year-round, approach needs to be taken to care rather than firefighting each winter, Asthma + Lung UK argued.
In particular, there has been a collapse in care for people with lung conditions, with levels of basic care for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at their lowest recorded, it said.
By prioritising prevention and early intervention, the government could dramatically reduce emergency admissions, save thousands of lives, and ease the strain on the NHS for good, the charity also argued.
Improving basic care for asthma and COPD alone could save the NHS £729m annually and reduce hospital stays by more than 272,000 bed days, with nearly 100,000 of these during the winter months, it calculated.
While there had been significant progress in reducing mortality rates from heart diseases – by some 58% over the past 20 years – lung health has only seen a 14% improvement, it added.
Sarah Sleet, chief executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Lung conditions are silently suffocating the NHS, pushing it to breaking point and causing 66,524 deaths last year.
“Every day, people with respiratory conditions are needlessly suffering, hospitals are overwhelmed by emergency admissions for breathing issues, particularly during the winter.
“Without urgent action, more lives will be put at risk. 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. 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 NHS is crying out for an all-year approach that focuses on prevention including vaccinations, as well as timely diagnosis, annual reviews and access to treatment, alongside key measures such as smoking cessation, improved housing and better air quality. These efforts could dramatically reduce hospital admissions, relieve pressure on NHS services, reducing health inequalities,” Sleet added.
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