World COPD Day

Liz Twist Excerpts

Thursday 20th November 2025 Westminster Hall

[Liz Twist (Blaydon and Consett) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to take part in this debate with you as Chair, Mr Efford. I also thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing this important debate. He and I have worked together on the respiratory health APPG for some years now, and I know how committed he is to tackling this issue.

Like in many other places across the north-east, a great number of people—more than 2,500 people, in fact—are living in my constituency with the debilitating symptoms of COPD. In some parts of my constituency, the rate is almost twice the national average, and those are just the people we know about. Almost a quarter of those with COPD wait five years or longer for a diagnosis, and there are many more living with COPD who are undiagnosed and therefore untreated.

From the discussions I have with constituents who come to my local surgeries or contact my office, it is clear just how closely this condition tracks health inequalities. Nine in 10 cases are thought to be caused by smoking, which we know is associated with socioeconomic deprivation. Meanwhile, persistent exposure to damp and mould in poor-quality housing further contributes to and exacerbates lung problems. I have received messages from constituents receiving hospital care who are frightened to return to homes that they strongly feel are not safe places for them to be in. I have heard from others who struggle to walk long distances, for whom the reliability of public transport is a serious issue. This condition cuts across many areas of daily life.

The town of Consett in my constituency is well known locally for its freezing climate. We have had lots of snow in Consett this week, while I have been down here in Parliament. Although it is great to see people enjoying the snow, I know that such weather conditions make living with a lung condition even more challenging, leading to heightened admissions to hospital, as we heard from the hon. Member for Strangford. This debate is therefore timely and is a good opportunity to remind ourselves of the importance of improving access to diagnosis, treatment and care for people living with COPD.

The Government’s 10-year health plan has established the importance of prevention and care within the community. I am pleased with the progress we have made to tackle smoking prevalence through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, and the progress made through Awaab’s law, which requires that problems of mould and damp are responded to quicker in the social housing sector. Locally in the north-east, our ICB performs well nationally for ensuring timely referrals to pulmonary rehabilitation services.

However, much more needs to be done nationally to ensure access to rehabilitation services. I know there is much more to do to ensure that all eligible patients have access to that treatment as well as biologic drugs. Both those interventions can make a huge difference to quality of life and reduce hospital admissions. I would be interested to hear the Minister’s views on the potential merits of a dedicated framework to bring those efforts together with work to expand early diagnosis, and on what more we can do to ensure that we catch and treat conditions early.

I thank Asthma + Lung UK and the APPG for respiratory health for their work in ensuring that COPD remains firmly on the agenda here in Parliament. My thanks go to constituents who have shared with their experiences with me, not just lately but over a number of years. I know just how devastating this condition can be, and I hope that we continue to work together to address the impact it has on our communities and people.