Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the recommendations of the report by the Taskforce for Lung Health entitled A National Five Year Plan for Lung Health.

The taskforce’s Five Year Plan was published in 2018, and the taskforce has subsequently published a reflection on the progress of the missions within the taskforce plan, which is available at the following link:

https://www.taskforceforlunghealth.org.uk/progress/

The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

This will support earlier diagnosis and better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including respiratory conditions, closer to home. Earlier diagnosis of conditions will help prevent deterioration and improve survival rates. Taking action to reduce the causes of the biggest killers, such as enabling a smoke free generation, can further help prevent lung conditions.