The NHS Long Term Plan identifies Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other respiratory conditions as a priority area.
Between them, respiratory conditions put a significant strain across primary and secondary care in the NHS. Unchecked, these long-term conditions take a stronger hold, and we see significant morbidity and mortality.
In 2019, the BMJ reported there were 1.3 million people with a diagnosis of COPD, an increase from under 1 million in 2000.
In terms of diagnosed cases, COPD is the second most common lung disease in the UK, after asthma. Around 2% of the whole population and 4.5% of all people aged over 40 live with diagnosed COPD. 115,000 people are diagnosed with COPD each year, equivalent to a new diagnosis every 5 minutes.
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