Dear Constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about lung disease.
I know that the Government has instructed NHS England to achieve a significant reduction in avoidable deaths by 2020. Reducing premature mortality rates among patients with lung disease will play an important part in this. There are a range of initiatives being taken forward that will support reducing mortality rates amongst patients with lung disease.
Early diagnosis of lung disease is important as timely treatment can help slow down its progression. In January 2019, the NHS Long Term Plan was launched, which incorporates a number of measures to improve wellbeing, designed to prevent medical conditions from developing in the first place. One of the key aspects of this plan is a renewed push to help people to stop smoking, with a particular focus on the communities and groups of people most affected by these problems.
In February 2019, the Government announced that Targeted Lung Health Checks will be rolled out across 13 different areas across the country, targeting those most at risk of lung cancer. This is one of the first projects to roll out following the launch of the NHS long term plan, and will help the Government to achieve the ambition of seeing 55,000 more people surviving their cancers for five years in England each year from 2028.
NHS England also funds the Respiratory Futures programme, which is a resource to support innovation and sharing of best practice on respiratory conditions. You may be pleased to know that the National Institute for Health Research funds significant research into lung disease: investment on respiratory disease research has increased by over two-thirds, from £15.7 million in 2009/10 to £26.7 million in 2015/16.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Mel Stride MP
MP for Central Devon
