One in five people are affected by respiratory disease, making it a clinical priority within the NHS Long Term Plan. Over the past seven years hospital admissions for lung disease have risen at three times the rate of all admissions generally. Respiratory diseases are also a major contributory factor in winter pressures on the NHS – most respiratory admissions are not elective.1

Data from the Health Survey for England 2018 indicates that one in 12 adults has a longstanding respiratory condition, with 2 per cent of adults having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and around 5 per cent having asthma. Around 21 per cent of those affected report their respiratory condition as being severe.2

Respiratory conditions are the leading long-term health issue experienced by children, with 5 per cent of those under the age of 16 affected. The likelihood of a long-term respiratory condition also increases with age so that 13 per cent of 75-84 year olds have a longstanding respiratory condition. They are also more common in lower income households and with increasing deprivation.2

After cardiovascular disease and dementia, respiratory diseases are the third largest cause of mortality in the UK. Chronic lower respiratory diseases are recorded as the primary underlying cause of mortality in about 6 per cent of deaths, similar to lung cancer, while influenza and pneumonia account for just over 5 per cent. There were over 32,000 deaths from pneumonia and acute bronchitis in 2018.3,4