Sharada Gudur, a Respiratory Medicine Consultant at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals visited the Houses of Parliament to help raise lung disease awareness. 

This was an attempt in support of the government prioritising lung health in its NHS 10-year plan.

Despite respiratory diseases being the third leading cause of death in the UK, they are under-prioritised and acknowledged by policymakers.

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Through this mission, Sharada joined representatives from Asthma and Lung UK and shared her perspective.

After returning from parliament she said, “For a number of years, lung health has been neglected, and the pandemic exacerbated the issue. 

“The main aim was to try and get the government to listen.”

Sharada is also collaborating with local healthcare teams to enhance community care for those suffering. 

However, despite these efforts, challenges such as funding, and poor housing conditions demand national-level intervention.

Addressing this requires tackling air pollution, which contributes to 43,000 premature deaths in the UK each year and a drastic improvement in housing conditions. 

Asthma and Lung UK, which Sharada joined through the campaign, worked towards aligning with government objectives to enhance NHS efficiency to minimise these issues.

The potential of the investments made by the government is said to deliver long-term benefits for individuals, the NHS, and society. 

“Challenges remain,” Dr. Gudur concluded, “but through resilience and collaboration, we can create meaningful change.”

To donate or find out more information about Asthma and Lung UK, click here.

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