Thank you for contacting me regarding lung health in the NHS 10-Year Plan.
As you know, health is a devolved matter here in Wales. It is however in all our best interests that major health concerns, including lung health, are given appropriate focus and commitment from both the Welsh and UK Labour Governments.
Lung conditions impact 1 in 5 people in Wales and remain in the top three causes of death, which is why they incur a cost of over £772 million a year for Wales through both direct and indirect financial pressures. Moreover, Wales remains the worst nation in Western Europe for respiratory deaths, a scenario that is not showing signs of improvement given the significant amount of people still suffering from lung conditions, including the hundreds of thousands receiving treatment for asthma and the tens of thousands being diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
My colleagues Altaf Hussain and Mark Isherwood are members of the Senedd’s Cross-Party Group for Lung Health, led by Asthma and Lung UK, which provides an important platform for Senedd Members to discuss issues relating to asthma and to ensure that the Welsh Government considers the need to improve care and services for people with asthma when developing their policies.
My Welsh Conservative colleagues and I will push for the Welsh Government to make tackling challenges to lung health a priority for the NHS here in Wales, and will continue to make the case for targeted lung cancer screenings and for the development of a substantial workforce plan for our healthcare workforce to strengthen efforts across our Welsh NHS.