Lung Disease (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

Lung Disease

July 3, 2009 12:00 AM
By Kirsty Williams AM in County Times 3rd July

lung foundation With one in five people in Wales living with a lung condition it is shocking that healthcare services to help sufferers, such as pulmonary rehabilitation, are only available in half of the country and waiting times for treatment can be as high as 18 months. In Powys we do not have any pulmonary rehabilitation services at all. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a course, delivered by a combination of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, dieticians and occupational therapists which helps people to manage their lung condition. As part of the programme, which can be held in hospitals or in the community, patients are educated about their lung disease, learn breathing exercises, stress management and relaxation therapies. They also receive diet advice and occupational therapy help.

Lung Disease has been described by the British Lung Foundation as having reached epidemic levels, and a recent lung testing event in June found that 17% of those tested had undetected lung conditions. Lung conditions include anything from mild asthma through to lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Pulmonary rehabilitation courses greatly benefit those with (COPD) and also some people with bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis and interstitial lung disease. The rehab can lead to an improved quality of life, the ability to be more physically active and a greater sense of overall well-being. Research has shown that successful pulmonary rehabilitation can reduce both the number of emergency hospital admissions, the number of repeat hospitalisations and the overall number of days spent in the hospital for people with respiratory problems; so a shortage of services is bad news for both patients and for the NHS as a whole. It is hugely concerning that so many people with lung conditions have to wait until they have been seriously ill or hospitalised before they have access to rehab and exercise programmes. It is important that everyone has access to pulmonary rehabilitation and follow on exercise classes locally as early as possible so as to reduce the extent of their condition.

Pulmonary rehabilitation is proven as a clinically and cost-effective intervention which improves patients' quality of life whilst reducing the workload for GPs and hospitals. The British Lung Foundation in Wales is calling for an urgent prioritisation of pulmonary rehabilitation services by the new LHBs and I am joining them in their calls on the Assembly Government to take action. An investment in the service now, along with an investment into research and prevention, is a long term investment in both the health of our nation and our NHS.