As we head deeper into winter and emergency hospital admissions rise for people with lung conditions, the charity says many of these could be avoided with earlier diagnosis of hidden breathing conditions.
The charity is urgently calling for the establishment of easily accessible respiratory diagnostic hubs across Scotland.
These diagnostic hubs should be designed to serve the local population and offer testing to help diagnose a variety of respiratory conditions. They should use a “one-stop shop” approach, with people tested, diagnosed and referred, in a single, streamlined service.
As many as 49,000 people in Scotland are misdiagnosed with asthma, costing an estimated £8.5 million every year (1).
The diagnostic hubs will not only save the NHS money, but will also help someone get the correct diagnosis and treatment for their lung condition as quickly as possible, helping to prevent subsequent health issues.
For example, breathlessness brought on by lung conditions such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or asthma, can mean people stop being as active, becoming more prone to other medical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.
There can be additional harm caused by inappropriate prescribing, which is costly for the NHS, providing medication that is not needed or worsening symptoms. Indeed, late diagnosis results in a 16% increase in direct costs per person over the two years following a COPD diagnosis.2
Analysis by PwC in Asthma + Lung UK ‘Investing in Breath’ report found an uptake in spirometry testing in primary care to 40% of those eligible could save £3.6million and a lead to a reduction of 3,847 bed days occupied per year in Scotland (1).
The report also found that if fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), a test that measures the levels of nitric oxide in your breath, were made available in Scotland to all GPs, its use could save £6.2 million through optimising asthma treatment.
Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung UK Scotland said:
“People in Scotland simply aren’t getting vital diagnostic tests. This creates a barrier to accessing the care and support that is crucial to slowing down lung damage and reducing life-threatening exacerbations and hospital admissions.
“As Scotland heads deeper into winter, A+E departments are filling up with people struggling to breathe. Many of these emergency admissions could be avoided with earlier diagnosis of hidden breathing conditions.
“Our new report, Early Detection, Better Outcomes: Neighbourhood Respiratory Diagnostics, shows that the new breathlessness hub model offers a solution to rethink respiratory diagnostics. By offering testing to a wider population, neighbourhood ways of working can bring efficient and effective services closer to people with lung conditions when they need it.
“The most cost-effective location to deliver diagnostic tests is in the community, closer to people’s homes; something of particular value for people with lung conditions from rural communities, for those that have a disability or illness, or those without the ability to travel easily.”
Vivienne Gaynor, age 63, from Edinburgh took 6 years to get a COPD diagnosis. She now runs a support group for people with COPD. She said:
“Getting an early diagnosis for COPD is so important, but sadly, for many people, including myself, this isn’t always what happens.
“I was treated for asthma, but when I hit my mid 40’s, my breathing changed, and my inhalers stopped working as well. I kept getting chest infections, wheezing all the time, tired and becoming really breathless.
“Every time I went back to the GP, I was told it was just my asthma, but to me there was clearly something else wrong. After 6 years, I got a message from my GP to pick up my COPD inhalers. And that was it – there was no explanation and no support. I swapped surgeries straightaway, and since then, the treatment I have received has been pretty good, and I realise I’m lucky for that.
“The impact of the delayed diagnosis meant that I had to give up the job I loved as a mental health advocate and now have to use a mobility scooter to get around.
“Lung health isn’t taken seriously enough. If I had been suffering with cancer or a heart problem, I don’t think I’d have had to wait so long for a diagnosis.”
To read Early Detection, Better Outcomes: Neighbourhood Respiratory Diagnostics report can be found here
ENDS
REFERENCE