Wales ‘making good progress’ on lung disease

WALES is “making good progress” in preventing, diagnosing and treating lung disease, a leading doctor claims.

Dr Ian Ketchell, consultant physician in respiratory and general medicine at Cardiff & Vale University Health Board, says Wales’ national respiratory health plan – the first in the UK – has improved outcomes for patients.

He said a “comprehensive” national training programme in the use of a spirometer – a vital breathing test – has helped medics achieve earlier and more accurate diagnosis of chronic lung disease.

Previous research across Wales had found that around 25% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnoses may not have been correct – mostly due to poor quality spirometry.

Standard spirometers have now been provided throughout primary care in Wales, which by the end of 2018 will be fully integrated with the Welsh Clinical Portal (a single digital portal) to capture results and patient information.

Wales has the highest prevalence of asthma in Europe and an estimated one in 12 people have some form of respiratory illness.

Speaking at the British Thoracic Society (BTS) winter meeting on December 5, Dr Ketchell said: “Respiratory disease was costing the NHS in Wales £400m a year and so prevention has been at the heart of the plan.

“We now have a strong system of sharing best practice on key ways to help prevent lung disease – such as increasing the number of people getting NHS support to help them quit smoking and increasing the vaccination rate for flu and pneumonia.

“There is, as ever, a lot more we need to achieve in reducing health inequalities and variations in treatment and outcomes for lung disease – but we feel that we have put the foundations in place to make real progress in the future.”