Scotland has a plan to improve asthma care
In Scotland, sadly respiratory conditions such as asthma and COPD account for over one third of all acute hospital admissions and are also one of the most commonly presented conditions within primary care. To tackle this the Scottish Government has recently published its long-awaited Respiratory Care Action Plan. Joseph Carter, our Head of Devolved Nations tells us about it.
The Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment, and support of people living with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
The plan aims to ensure that everyone with a respiratory condition will be able to access the care and support they need to live well, on their own terms. Once implemented the plan will improve and simplify access to appropriate diagnostic tests for respiratory conditions and explore the use of high quality, consistent spirometry testing and chest & lung CT scans. It will also ensure everyone with respiratory conditions who would benefit from a specialist, general and community rehab is able to access appropriate services and support. The Scottish Government will also work in partnership with the third sector to ensure people with respiratory conditions have access to tools, resources, and information that support them to manage their own condition.
We have been collaborating with health ministers since 2017 and are pleased to see this plan published and hope it will begin to protect and improve lung health in Scotland.
It is a vital step forward towards prioritising lung health in Scotland. We have been immensely proud to be a part of the process and we hope to continue working with the new Scottish Government on the implementation of the plan after the elections in May.
It is important, however, to note that this plan could be strengthened further and would benefit from additional funding. More than 83,000 people had to shield during the pandemic due to the severity of their lung condition, which paints a clear picture of how far respiratory health in Scotland must go.
As the plan is implemented, we will again be reaching out to people with lived experience of living with asthma to hear what they think should be the priorities for prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment, and support.
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