Lung disease costs the UK an estimated £11 billion each year. Around £9.9 billion of this is direct costs to the NHS and patients, with the remainder arising from lost working days.2 It is the third biggest contributory cause of death. It is also the fourth most costly disease category in the UK, after mental health conditions, musculoskeletal diseases and heart disease.1,2

Within lung diseases, lung cancer accounts for the highest mortality (around 31% in 2012), followed by COPD (26%) and pneumonia (25%). The next biggest categories combined amount to about 15% of respiratory mortality: they include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung diseases from external agents (eg asbestosis), pleural mesothelioma, and pulmonary embolism.3

Around 900,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with COPD, accounting for £1.9 billion of respiratory disease costs each year, but around 2.2 million remain undiagnosed. A third of people admitted to hospital with their first COPD exacerbation have not been previously diagnosed.1,2,4

Asthma costs around £3 billion annually, with 90% of that sum being spent on medicines. Potentially 5.4 million people have the condition, with over 65,000 hospital admissions each year. The UK also has one of the highest asthma mortality rates in Europe.1,2,4

Weather has an influence. For every degree drop in temperature below 5°C, there is a 10.5% increase in primary care respiratory consultations and an 0.8% increase in respiratory admissions. The incidence of respiratory conditions peaks around December-January by as much as 30% above the annual average, significantly contributing to NHS winter pressures.1