Thousands with breathing problems undiagnosed due to lack of tests in England

Thousands of people with asthma and other lung problems are going undiagnosed because most GPs in England do not offer tests for them, according to a new report.

The failure to diagnose and start treating people with breathing problems threatens to create “a deluge of hospital admissions this winter” when the NHS is under intense pressure.

Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of charity Asthma and Lung UK, said: “The abysmal lack of testing and patchy basic care is causing avoidable harm to people with lung conditions and the NHS.”

The report, which the Charity Commissioned from consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers, found that most GP surgeries in England do not provide basic lung function tests.

Patients’ inability to access a test to check if they have asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) represents a “crisis in care” that could lead to many being hospitalised this winter “as respiratory viruses take hold and people struggle to heat their homes”, Asthma and Lung UK added.

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Source: The Guardian, 26 September 2023