Hot off the Helpline: May edition

Meet the team

Lanny is our Respiratory Nurse Specialist Co-Lead, working across our clinical helpline and our WhatsApp service. With over 20 years of hands-on experience in both GP practices and hospital respiratory wards, Lanny brings a wealth of knowledge and deep compassion to every conversation. She’s been part of the Asthma + Lung UK family for more than 4 years now, and in that time, she’s helped countless people breathe a little easier — whether that’s through clear advice, reassurance, or simply being there when it matters most.

Lanny is an expert in all lung conditions, but she has a special passion for supporting those living with Interstitial Lung Disease. Her commitment to helping people manage their respiratory health shines through in everything she does.

On the Helpline

On the helpline this past month we’ve noticed an increase in calls from people concerned about the change to benefits and government financial support for people with long term respiratory conditions.

There are no immediate changes to the welfare system. In the short term people might be called for work capability reassessment if they’ve not had one recently and its more likely to be face to face.

Universal Credit being frozen until 2029/30 could cause issues for some people if the cost of living increases continue.

In the long term people might lose access to some of their Personal Independence Payments (PIP) if they don’t score enough points in a single assessment category (at the moment its cumulative across categories).

It’s likely that people will be feeling anxious and uncertain about how proposed changes will affect them, remember these are just proposals and may be modified after the consultation period.

If you have any queries or would like support and advice please call and speak to one of our wonderful healthcare advisors on 0300 222 5800 and option 1 for a healthcare advisor. 

An online forum just for people with lung conditions

Health Unlocked is a social networking service for health. The site enables peer support and the opportunity to actively engage with people going through similar experiences to you.

Asthma + Lung UK help to moderate with nurses and healthcare advisors two forums within the Health Unlocked Community, Asthma Community Forum and Lung Conditions Community Forum.

Health Unlocked is free to join, you just need to set up an account and accept the terms and conditions, each page you then join will have their own community guidelines. Once joined then get posting and replying! Our pages also have polls, healthy discussions and surveys, and we welcome any feedback on how you feel the community forum can be improved.

Dates for your diary

This month has some important dates in the respiratory calendar.

International Nurses Day is May 12 – International Nurses Day is held on the 12 of May every year, which is the anniversary of Florence Nightingale's birth. International Nurses Day is a chance to celebrate the vital work of nurses around the globe.

World No Tobacco Day is May 31  - World No Tobacco Day is an international observance aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of tobacco use and advocating for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption. This day focuses on the harmful effects of tobacco on health, the environment, and society. It also encourages individuals to quit smoking and promotes global efforts to combat the tobacco epidemic.

This year, the campaign will focus on revealing the tactics that the tobacco and nicotine industries use to make their harmful products seem attractive.

We have lots of support and advice if you need help to quit smoking.

Support group spotlight

Breathe Easy Lates is an evening support group for anyone with a lung condition. We have a different theme each month with expert speakers, practical support and new tips and tricks. Come along a meet new people and find your community. It’s online so you can join from anywhere that’s convenient for you. And it’s free!

Our online evening support group runs monthly on the last Tuesday of the month at 6.30pm

Each month, we’ll focus on a different topic or activity – covering everything from singing for lung health to practical advice from nurses on what to do if your breathing gets worse. Join our friendly community and get the tools you need to manage your lung health

Thanks for reading this month’s blog. Stay tuned for next month’s edition.