Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to enable the adoption of innovative diagnostic technologies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease within the NHS; and what engagement they have had with clinical bodies to support large-scale implementation of targeted case-finding pathways that promote earlier diagnosis and help prevent disease progression.

The National Health Service is working to expand access to innovative diagnostic technologies for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Research into new diagnostic tests for COPD, such as computed cardiopulmonography and N-Tidal Diagnose, is underway.

Discussions on whether new diagnostic pathways could be developed will be dependent on the research findings.

NHS England continues to work closely with Respiratory Clinical Networks and bodies such as the British Thoracic Society to support improvements to services.