§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken to assist those people in Northern Ireland who suffer from respiratory illnesses and as a result of their condition have severe restriction in their mobility. [171003]
§ Angela SmithA number of initiatives are currently under way to help people who are affected by chronic respiratory disease in Northern Ireland. For those people who are disabled with respiratory disease, many Trusts have developed multi-professional Pulmonary Rehabilitation Services. Further work is currently being undertaken by Trusts, in association with Boards, to ensure that the full range of these services is available to everyone in Northern Ireland.
Recognising the impact of respiratory diseases on the health of people in Northern Ireland, my Department intends to initiate a major review of respiratory services in 2004–05. The scope of the review is not yet finalised, but key themes will include: primary prevention and the development of links with other health promotion strategies; the encouragement and facilitation of self-care; the promotion of multi- disciplinary team working; and, the development of integrated care pathways across the primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare sectors.