Our Battle for Breath: Policy Priorities for the next Welsh Government

Asthma + Lung UK Cymru’s manifesto sets out the charity’s policy priorities for the next Welsh Government to improve lung health, respiratory care and prevention across the nation. 

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Summary list of actions for the next Welsh Government to make lung health a priority and improve Wales’s overall health

Diagnosis

  • Develop a £2m recovery fund for spirometry and FeNO testing, to address the backlog of patients without an objective diagnosis. Either in primary care or through diagnostic hubs, all patients should be able to access spirometry and FeNO.
  • Roll out lung screening, including appropriate follow-up of incidental findings, focussing on smokers, which has been proven to find treatable early-stage lung cancer, before symptoms present.  

Treatment, Care + Self-Management

  • Ensure that 100% of adults and children with lung conditions get the basic care they need, in order to manage their condition, improve their well-being and reduce hospitalisation.  
  • Guarantee equitable access to pulmonary rehabilitation across the nation.  
  • Encourage the use of digital technology to improve access for those with work and caring responsibilities.
  • Provide that every pulmonary rehab service has a fully-staffed MDT.  
  • Entrench the right to PR for all eligible patients by expanding referral pathways, increasing PR capacity, and integrating digital options.
  • Invest in digital tools to support self-management of lung conditions (e.g. action plans, prescription orders, medication optimisation).  
  • Provide clean air and trigger education for patients and healthcare professionals.

Prevention

  • Use the powers in the Environment (Air Quality and Soundscape) Act 2024 to adopt the latest WHO air quality guidelines into law and develop a clear roadmap for compliance. This must include stronger commitments to tackling pollution at its source, accelerating the transition to cleaner transport, and protecting vulnerable groups from the harmful effects of dirty air.
  • Launch targeted behaviour change campaigns on sustainable transport, vehicle idling, domestic burning, and the health risks of air pollution.
  • Address vehicle engine idling through local and national initiatives and increase the fixed penalty notice to act as a greater deterrent.
  • Implement Clean Air Zones with careful consideration to economically disadvantaged groups and disabled people.
  • Gradually eliminate domestic wood burning in urban areas, support rural households in transitioning from wood as a primary heating source, and provide financial assistance to those in fuel poverty.
  • Create a comprehensive monitoring network integrating local and national modelled and measured data.
  • Target smoking services to deprived areas where smoking prevalence is higher. Improve general access to smoking cessation services, which include support for people who wish to stop vaping.
  • Expand the number of smoke-free and vape-free places in areas where children are likely to be present.
  • Expand and clarify warm homes schemes, such as NEST, with the prioritisation of air source heat pumps, adequate insulation and appropriate ventilation to ensure safe indoor air and the minimisation of seasonal triggers in the home.
  • Adopt and implement legislation to ensure mould and damp-free social housing.