17 years of helpline support

Being there for people who need it

After working on government-funded helplines for drug and alcohol addiction I jumped at the chance when I saw an opening for a new helpline for lung conditions. I loved the idea of working for a lung charity as I felt like I could really make a difference to people’s lives.

At the time, this kind of helpline was new so I was so excited to see where it could lead to. It felt like I had the opportunity to become part of something inspirational. I already had some knowledge of working on a helpline, but it was important that I expanded my knowledge of the issues we would be dealing with.

For three months I had extensive training from a variety of different professionals including respiratory specialists, welfare benefit services and oxygen prescribing services to ensure I had all the knowledge needed to help the people who called. The helpline opened with just three members of staff to man the phones, now it has grown to a team of 26.

When you call our helpline, you will have the option to talk to either a healthcare adviser or a respiratory specialist. Our health care advisors can give general, non-medical, advice about your lung condition and signpost you to relevant pages on our website. They can also put you through to one of the respiratory specialists if you need clinical advice. If you chose to speak to one of our respiratory specialists, they give expert clinical advice and support about diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, and side effects.

We’re not just a telephone helpline anymore either. We help even more people with special HealthUnlocked forums boasting 68,000 members and an email enquiry service.

Every day is so varied

It has been a wild ride over the years! I couldn’t tell you how many calls I have answered but each one is so different from the last. It’s such a nice feeling to be here for people who need us the most. There is no better feeling than hearing great feedback about how much you have helped them.

You name it, we have heard it on the phone! No day is ever the same with such a variety of calls. We have even had one person ring up to ask us to replace their wheely bin! Sadly, we couldn’t answer that particular call.

Listening to people’s concerns and worries means sometimes you have to know when to take action and ensure they get the help they need. There have been times when I have had to call emergency services for our callers as they have taken a turn for the worse on the phone. It can be scary but it’s essential to help them to remain calm to ensure we can help them get the help they need.

Thankfully we very rarely get calls from people who are feeling very low and suicidal. But when we do, we do everything we can to ensure that all safeguarding measures are in place in order to offer them the support they need and to keep them safe.

One of the most rewarding things about working on the helpline is helping people with lung conditions get the right benefits. They’re often very poorly and find applying for financial support confusing. After talking them through the right avenues to get the benefits they deserve, they often ring back with heartfelt thanks. It’s so great to be able to empower someone to ask for what they need.

Looking forward to the future

The striking new look and our bold strategy to help even more people with lung conditions has made me so excited for the future of Asthma + Lung UK. I can’t wait for us to be able to reach people with all kinds of lung conditions and offer help to those in need. I’m also looking forward to helping to change people’s misconceptions of those who are living with a lung condition.

In 2021 our helpline team supported nearly 35,000 people with lung conditions with advice, information and a listening ear. They are here for you on 0300 222 580.

At Asthma + Lung UK, we want no one left fighting for breath without knowing what’s happening to them. Read our report to find out what we’re fighting for.