Ministers are being urged to roll out a better testing regime for one of the country’s biggest killers. The latest figures show that death rates from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more than three times higher in some of the most deprived areas of the country.
More than 20,000 people die in England every year from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The leading cause of COPD is smoking, but a significant proportion of cases are work-related and caused by exposure to fumes, chemicals and dust at work.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that death rates from the disease are significantly higher in more deprived areas of the country, including Wolverhampton, Rochdale and Blackpool. Death rates in Salford (82 per 100,000) are 3.9 times higher than Bath (21 per 100,000).
The NHS is implementing targeted lung screening across England for people aged 55 to 74 who are current or former smokers. The charity Asthma + Lung UK says the checks will identify many people who may have COPD, but there is no established protocol by which they can be diagnosed and receive the right treatment and support.
Dr. Samantha Walker, interim director of Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Once targeted lung health checks are fully rolled out, millions of people may be told they have an incurable lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but they won’t. to be given a firm diagnosis or pointed the way to the right support, which is simply unacceptable.
“What we need to see is a national referral pathway for people showing signs of other lung conditions as part of this screening process to ensure that people with all suspected lung conditions get the diagnosis and treatments they deserve. We know that people with lung disease will live better, fuller lives if they are diagnosed earlier.”
Research from the charity published in 2022 found that almost one in four people with COPD waited more than five years for diagnosis. About one in eight waited more than ten years for a diagnosis. There is no cure for COPD, but lifestyle changes and disease management can help slow its progression. To diagnose COPD, a spirometry test is used that shows how well the lungs are working. An investigation Last year, the medical journal BMJ found that some of the most deprived areas of England had no or limited access to spirometry.
Katy Brown, 66, a former pediatric nurse from Portishead, Somerset, said she had suffered from shortness of breath since 2019 but was only diagnosed with COPD in October last year. “It literally takes your breath away,” Brown said. “It’s like someone is sitting on your chest.”
She said once diagnosed, people can benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation, which provides exercises and advice on managing the condition.
Felicity Payne, 67, a language teacher from Eastbourne, said exercise had played a key role in managing the condition, with regular miles of swimming part of her regime since her diagnosis in 2016. “I never thought I could do that do several years later (from diagnosis),” she said. “It’s been a lifeline.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We are working to improve services for people with chronic conditions such as COPD so they can live longer, healthier lives.
“The Major Conditions Strategy will look at proposals to improve health outcomes in the six groups of conditions, including COPD which is responsible for more than 60% of ill health and premature death in England.”