Respiratory diseases pose a huge challenge for Scotland’s healthcare, economy and society. One of the SNP’s top priorities is to support the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all lung conditions.
The SNP Scottish Government has a partnership with the British Lung Foundation on bold research into new treatments.
Previously, under an SNP government, lung cancer mortality rates have dropped by 11%. Fewer than 1 in 4 adults now smoke, and the number of 15-year-olds who smoke regularly has dropped by more than two thirds in the past decade.
Despite these improvements, Covid-19 as a respiratory disease has made clear that much more is to be done to improve access to healthcare, prevention of disease, and overall improvement of the lives of people living with lung conditions.
The SNP Government developed a national Respiratory Action Plan in response to the advice and recommendations from the public, charities and experts. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a major part of this plan, and has shown to reduce hospital admissions and could save NHS Scotland £10 million within two years.
If re-elected, the SNP will continue to work closely with the public, charities and research bodies to take actionable, ambitious and achievable steps laid out in the Respiratory Action Plan.
Fiona Hyslop