The British Lung Foundation is disappointed that Gordon Brown failed to address the UK’s second biggest killer, respiratory disease, when announcing early screening for patients in England.
The Prime Minister outlined plans for GPs to carry out more diagnostic tests to detect heart disease, stroke, diabetes and breast cancer, but made no mention of lung conditions.
“Respiratory disease is the UK’s second biggest killer and one of the biggest diseases of inequality, yet it has been spectacularly overlooked in this announcement,” says Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation.
“Respiratory conditions are the most common cause of emergency hospital admissions and they place a huge burden on the NHS so early screening is vital. A simple lung test in primary care could bring huge improvements in early detection, particularly in deprived areas of the UK.
“This would have been a fantastic opportunity to help find the millions of people who have undiagnosed diseases like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and it is a huge shame that chance has been missed.”