Better adherence to the national COPD strategy could save around 8,000 lives a year, the DH has said.
Better adherence to the national COPD strategy could save around 8,000 lives a year, the DH has said.
Ministers' Companion Document to the Outcomes Strategy for COPD and Asthma, published this month, states that around two million people have undiagnosed COPD. Earlier identification of the condition could save half-a-billion pounds since it costs nearly ten times more to treat severe COPD than the mild form of the condition.
The companion document aims to help reduce variation in COPD diagnosis and care,describing what the NHS can do, specifically, to meet the objectives of the Outcomes Strategy.