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Written question asked by James McMurdock (Independent (affiliation)) on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 12 February 2026. It was answered by Sharon Hodgson (Labour) on Monday, 16 March 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Respiratory System

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the prevalence of poor lung health.

Answer

The Government has committed to delivering three big shifts that our National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving respiratory health in all parts of the country.

Through our community diagnostic centres we are building capacity for respiratory testing and enabling people to get diagnosed closer to home. 101 community diagnostic centres across the country now offer out of hours services, 12 hours a day, seven days a week, meaning patients can access vital diagnostic tests around busy working lives. This is alongside action being taken to expand capacity and improve the quality of pulmonary rehabilitation services to support patients living with respiratory conditions.

We are also taking action to reduce the causes of respiratory conditions such as enabling a smoke free generation and cross-Government action to improve air quality.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
112486
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Respiratory diseases Respiratory system
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk