World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day 2004

EDM number 100 in 2004-05, proposed by Howard Stoate on 23/11/2004.

That this House welcomes the third annual World Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Day on 17th November which aims to raise awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) across the world; regrets that COPD is the only major cause of death on the increase in the UK with an estimated three million sufferers and more than 30,000 deaths a year; further regrets that an estimated 100,000 hospital admissions were recorded for COPD in England in 2000, equating to around one million bed days; recognises the importance of effective management of COPD in primary care to improve patients' quality of life and reduce unnecessary hospitalisations; calls for the full implementation of the NICE Guideline recommendations such as early diagnosis with spirometry testing, pulmonary rehabilitation, non-invasive ventilation therapy and access to a multi-disciplinary healthcare team; supports the efforts of the British Lung Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline in highlighting the benefits of these services for improving outcomes for patients and reducing the major burden on the NHS; urges honourable Members to contact and liaise with their local primary care trusts or health boards to ensure these services are available to their constituents; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to ensure that COPD and respiratory disease is given appropriate prominence in the NHS.

This motion has been signed by a total of 115 MPs.