Members

The Taskforce for Lung Health has over 40 members including patients, carers, health care professionals, the voluntary sector and professional associations.

An Industries Forum, which works alongside the Taskforce, includes representatives from the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, devices and digital industries

Taskforce members

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis

Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis is a charity that focuses on supporting those with pulmonary fibrosis and IPF.

We are delighted to be a member of the Taskforce and through our involvement will ensure that the views of people living with pulmonary fibrosis are incorporated into the work of the Taskforce and its new 5-year plan for improving lung health in England
Steve Jones, Chair

Amy Butler, patient representative

Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)

The ABPI represents innovative research-based biopharmaceutical companies, large, medium and small, leading an exciting new era of bioscience in the UK.

We are delighted to have the opportunity to bring the pharmaceutical industry’s expertise to bear as we work together to improve the state of lung health in the UK. With lung disease responsible for more than 700,000 hospital admissions and over 6 million inpatient bed-days in the UK each year, this new Taskforce has its sights set on delivering genuine results.
Su Jones, NHS Engagement Partner

Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care

The ACPRC is a national body of physiotherapists interested in all aspects of respiratory care. It promotes health and best practice in respiratory physiotherapy.

Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists

The ARNS exists to champion the specialty respiratory nursing community, promote excellence in practice, and influence respiratory health policy.

It is important that we share our patients’ stories and the experience we have from clinical practice. What we will then show is that there is a big variation in clinical practice, and a big variation in services that are available. And when we put that evidence forward then we can start informing decision-makers.
Wendy Preston, Chair of the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, and Head of Nursing Practice at the Royal College of Nursing

Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology (UK)

ARTP is the professional body for practitioners in respiratory physiology and technology measurement.

ARTP are delighted to have been invited to be a member of this Taskforce. It is so important that we all collaborate to improve the nation’s lung health and support those with a diagnosis of lung disease. From patients to healthcare professionals, we all have a part to play and this Taskforce gives us all an opportunity to ensure those who make the decisions hear what we have to say and how we can all improve the landscape of lung disease for the future.
Dr Karl Sylvester, Head of Joint Respiratory Physiology Services (CUH & Papworth)/Lead Healthcare Scientist (Papworth Hospital)/Honorary Chair ARTP

Asthma + Lung UK

Asthma + Lung UK looks after anyone affected by a lung condition. Asthma + Lung UK gives people living with a lung condition hope, help and a voice through research, support, and campaigning.

What the Taskforce does is bring together all these organisations who each individually have been trying to make a difference, bringing them all together so we can speak with one voice and really make an impact.
Henry Gregg, Director of External Affairs, Asthma + Lung UK

British Geriatrics Society

The BGS is the professional association of doctors, nurses and other health professionals dedicated to improving health care for older people.

The Taskforce is an excellent opportunity to improve care and services for older people with lung disease. We are seeing more and more patients with multiple conditions as our ageing population grows, and lung disease features often in these patients. We need a national, strategic plan to improve services and care for these patients, and the Taskforce brings together all the necessary organisations to create this.
Dr Chris Dyer, Consultant Geriatrician, on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society

British Society of Thoracic Imaging

The BSTI represents radiologists and clinicians with a specialist interest in thoracic imaging.

Thoracic imaging plays a pivotal role in diagnosing all forms of lung disease. For this reason, the British Society of Thoracic Imaging is delighted to be a member of the Taskforce for Lung Health. Together, we hope that patients will get an early and accurate diagnosis of their lung disease so that they have the best possible outcomes.
Dr Graham Robinson, President of the BSTI

British Thoracic Oncology Group

The British Thoracic Oncology Group supports and educates thoracic oncology healthcare professionals, and represents the needs of people with thoracic malignancies in the UK and ensure they have equitable access to optimal care.

BTOG is delighted to be a member of the Taskforce and work alongside others to influence change and improve treatment, care and patient outcomes.
Dawn McKinley, Senior Executive Officer, British Thoracic Oncology Group

British Thoracic Society

The BTS exists to improve standards of care for people who have respiratory diseases and to support and develop those who provide that care.

The British Thoracic Society is a member of the Taskforce because we want to see a genuine commitment at the highest level to improving the health of people who have lung disease.
Sally Welham, Chief Executive, British Thoracic Society

Carol Liddle, patient representative

The Taskforce provides an extraordinary opportunity to put lung health on policy makers’ agendas for the first time. But it is crucial that any work that affects patients, involves patients. For this reason, I am pleased to be a Taskforce patient representative for this amazing platform that works to give patients a voice, especially those feel under-represented. I have a particular interest in ensuring that people with lung disease have an early and accurate diagnosis, increasing access to pulmonary rehabilitation and promoting patient involvement in research and development of interventions.
Carol Liddle, patient representative

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

The CSP is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK’s 57,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers.

Pulmonary rehab can make an enormous difference to a person’s life but at present, too many people miss out. This is damaging for the individual but also for the health and social care systems, which are placed under even greater pressure. The Taskforce will bring a much-needed national focus on the issue to hopefully deliver better access to the services people need, when they need them.
Professor Karen Middleton, CSP

Clare Beckett, patient representative

Community Pharmacy England

CPE promotes and supports the interests of all NHS community pharmacies in England. Their goal is to develop the NHS community pharmacy service, to enable community pharmacies to offer an increased range of high quality and fully funded services that meet the needs of their local communities and provide value and good health outcomes for the NHS and the public.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust

The Cystic Fibrosis Trust is the only UK-wide charity dedicated to fighting for a life unlimited by cystic fibrosis for everyone affected by the condition.

Felicity Payne, patient representative

Health and Safety Executive

As the independent regulator for occupational health and safety in Great Britain, HSE’s purpose is to prevent work-related death, injury and ill-health. Tackling ill health, which includes occupational lung disease, is a key priority of our ’Helping Great Britain Work Well’ strategy. We believe that by being an active member of the Taskforce, engaging with others and using our expertise in the causes of occupational lung disease, the measures to prevent or minimise it, we can make a real difference in reducing the number of cases of work related lung disease and in improving lung health more generally. I enthusiastically support the aims of this Taskforce.
Martin Temple, Chair of the HSE

Interstitial Lung Disease Interdisciplinary Network

The ILD Interdisciplinary Network (ILD-IN) is delighted to be a member of the Taskforce for lung health, driven by the collaborative effort of the respiratory community.

Our expertise is specifically in supporting and maintaining high quality care for patients diagnosed with an ILD. However, our patients have similar symptom experiences as do those living with other chronic progressive lung conditions. Working together with the wider community we hope to optimise the healthcare experience improving breathlessness management in particular and the educational experiences of healthcare professionals involved in delivering clinical respiratory services.
Anne-Marie Russell, Chair

Kimberlee Cole, patient representative

I volunteered for the Taskforce as previously I felt that people on the front line of lung disease were not having their voices heard. I want to make sure that people living with lung disease have a say in the decisions that involve them.
Kimberlee Cole, patient representative

Lehanne Sergison, patient representative

If people living with respiratory disease are to get the support and care that they need, two things are crucial. Firstly, patient representatives must have a seat at the table to discuss the issues that involve them. Secondly, the respiratory community must have a united voice with clear, evidence-based asks for how to best support patients. I believe that the Taskforce for Lung Health is a great platform for this.
Lehanne Sergison, patient representative

Maxine Flewett, carer representative

My husband Ron and I feel passionately about ensuring that all patients and carers of people with lung disease are fully informed and supported. Without the Taskforce addressing these issues, I believe that people would continue to feel uninformed, frustrated and alone.
Maxine Flewett, carer representative

Mesothelioma UK

Mesothelioma UK is a national specialist resource centre, specifically for the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma. The charity provides specialist mesothelioma information, support and education, and to improving care and treatment for all UK mesothelioma patients and their carers.

Mesothelioma UK is delighted to be involved in the Taskforce for Lung Health. Mesothelioma is an incurable, avoidable cancer and sadly the UK continues to have the highest incidence of Mesothelioma in the world. Increasingly, it is apparent there is more we can do to raise awareness and prevent exposure. We look forward and are committed to working with members of the Taskforce to raise the profile of lung health across the UK.
Liz Darlison, CEO, Mesothelioma UK

Primary Care Respiratory Society

PCRS is the UK-wide professional society supporting primary care to deliver high-value patient-centred respiratory care.

The Taskforce for Lung Health has brought together a unified voice of patients, carers and health professionals. As a Taskforce member PCRS is using its voice to highlight the importance of lung health throughout all stages of life as we develop the Taskforce’s 5-year plan for improving lung health in England.
Dr Noel Baxter, Primary Care Respiratory Society

Learn more about how Noel is sharing his GP experience with the Taskforce.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust provides personal support to people affected by pulmonary fibrosis, a debilitating and life-limiting illness. The Trust offers practical, emotional and financial support as well as raising awareness of the disease and the challenges that it presents.

The Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust is delighted to be a member of the Taskforce for Lung Health. Working together towards improving the nation’s lung health, we can only be stronger as a united team. More and more pulmonary fibrosis patients are turning to us for help. It is for these patients that we need to shout and make ourselves heard both within government and across the healthcare sector. We fully support the aims of this Taskforce and look forward to making a difference, together.
Peter Bryce, Chair of Trustees

Respiratory Futures

Respiratory Futures is an online platform run by the British Thoracic Society which shares resources that support the delivery of integrated, sustainable, innovative and high-quality respiratory care. It’s designed to be a new focal point for the UK respiratory community, building on the findings of the Respiratory Alliance and reaching across the traditional boundaries of primary and secondary care.

NHS RightCare

NHS RightCare is a national NHS England-supported programme committed to delivering the best care to patients, making the NHS’s money go as far as possible and improving patient outcomes.

As a member of the Taskforce, we believe this is a significant opportunity to tackle unwarranted variation and improve the long term health outcomes of people living with lung disease.
Professor Matthew Cripps, National Director

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the UK’s only dedicated lung cancer charity.

As a national lung cancer charity, we have seen the advances brought about by the coming together of the cancer community, in implementing the Cancer Strategy and other initiatives. We hope this taskforce will bring similar patient benefits.
Paula Chadwick, Chief Executive, Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

Royal College of Anaesthetists

The Royal College of Anaesthetists is the professional body responsible for the specialty throughout the UK, and it ensures the quality of patient care through the maintenance of standards in anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine.

We know that many patients with respiratory illness will experience avoidable complications associated with their surgical procedure. Underpinned by optimal care before, during and after surgery – the perioperative period – we are committed to working with partners to develop robust and practical recommendations for lasting change that will improve outcomes for patients across the UK.
Dr Tom Pierce, Consultant Anaesthetist and Environmental Advisor to the Royal College of Anaesthetists

Royal College of General Practitioners

The RCGP is the professional membership body for GPs in the UK. Its purpose is to encourage, foster and maintain the highest possible standards in general medical practice.

Lung disease is much more prevalent that most people imagine and it is too commonly overlooked. It’s one of the most common reasons why people visit primary care and it exerts a large impact on morbidity and mortality across England. Concerted action to improve the nation’s lung health is long overdue. The Taskforce for Lung Health should provide clinicians, patients and other organisations involved in lung health with our best opportunity yet to change the face of respiratory care. Now is the time to make significant progress in getting timely and accurate diagnoses, ensuring there is appropriate and equitable access to treatment, and that people living with a lung condition receive good quality care. There is expertise and good clinical care in general practice, community, A&E and other specialist services but we can, and must, build on this and work together to deliver more and faster improvements. I’m delighted the Royal College of General Practitioners are a member of the Taskforce and I will be working with my colleagues to ensure the Royal College’s expertise is reflected in the published plan.
Dr Steve Holmes

Royal College of Occupational Therapists

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists have championed the profession and the people behind it for over 80 years. Occupational therapy helps you live your best life at home, at work, and everywhere else. It’s about being able to do the things you want and have to do. Occupational therapists work with people diagnosed with respiratory disease from the point of diagnosis, advising on self-management approaches and providing pulmonary rehabilitation as well as palliative and end-of life care as part of a multi-disciplinary service.

Royal College of Nursing

The Royal College of Nursing is the world’s largest nursing union and professional body. It represents more than 435,000 nurses, student nurses, midwives and health care assistants in the UK and internationally

From a nursing perspective, and thinking about patient experience and patient outcomes, I think it’s really important that the Taskforce is able to raise awareness about the importance of lung health and that we can help improve outcomes for patients.
Eleanor Sherwen, Professional Lead for End of Life, Palliative Care and Long Term Conditions at the Royal College of Nursing

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

The RCPCH’s mission is to transform child health through knowledge, innovation and expertise. It plays a major role in postgraduate medical education, professional standards, research and policy.

The Taskforce has the potential to really make an impact on improving child respiratory health. Too often we see the same problems with children and lung disease occurring over and over again, and we want to work together to make a strong and compelling case for improvement and change.
Dr Jayesh Bhatt, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine and representative for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and President, British Paediatric Respiratory Society

Royal College of Physicians

The RCP drives improvement in the diagnosis of disease, the care of individual patients and the health of the whole population both in the UK and across the globe through advocacy, education and research.

Despite lung disease affecting people of all ages and backgrounds often resulting in very poor quality of life and reduced life expectancy, it doesn’t receive the same level of attention of other illnesses, such as heart disease. Lung disease is often assumed to be the result of smoking which is not the case.

Over the last ten years, the national focus on other disease areas has led to improvements in patient care yet the outcomes of patients with lung diseases has not improved. Prevention and treatment of lung disease is particularly important in an already pressured NHS, as lung disease is one of the most common reasons for patients to consult their GP or admission to A&E.

We hope this new initiative will drive change and give patients suffering with lung disease the quality of care they deserve and specifically the implementation of a national NHS England five year action plan.
Dr Ian Woolhouse, RCP Clinical Director for audit and accreditation

Royal College of Radiologists

As the independent, professional body representing all radiologists and clinical oncologists in the UK, the accurate diagnosis of patients with lung cancer and other lung diseases is a crucial part of the RCR’s work, thereby informing and guiding most treatment and management decisions. The Taskforce offers an opportunity to improve quality of patient care for all lung patients, and we are delighted to be a part of this project.
Dr Nicola Strickland, President

Royal Pharmaceutical Society

RPS champions the role of pharmacists and are renowned as publishers of health information. Their mission is to put pharmacy at the forefront of healthcare. Their vision is to become the world leader in the safe and effective use of medicines. They do this by promoting pharmacy in the media and government, leading the way in medicines information, and supporting pharmacists in their education and development.

Pharmacists working across all care settings have much to offer people with poor lung health from prevention, recognising signs and symptoms to support early diagnosis, supporting treatment and management of lung conditions and assisting in end of life care. The Taskforce raises awareness of the importance of good lung health and brings together patients, carers and professionals to ultimately improve outcomes for patients and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is pleased to be involved.
Robbie Turner, Director for England, RPS

Sarcoidosis UK

Sarcoidosis UK‘s main goal is finding a cure for sarcoidosis. They provide information and support, raise awareness of sarcoidosis, and invest in research to understand the condition and ultimately find a cure.

Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland, on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons

The RCS is a professional membership organisation with more than 25,000 members in the UK and internationally, which seeks advance surgical care by improving their skills and knowledge, facilitating research and developing policy and guidance.

Terri Quigley, patient representative

UK Lung Cancer Coalition

The UKLCC is the UK’s largest multi-interest group in lung cancer and was established in 2005 to help bring lung cancer out of the political, clinical and media shadow. Its objectives are to raise political awareness of lung cancer; help drive the improvement of lung cancer services in the UK; raise the general public’s awareness of lung cancer, especially by encouraging earlier presentation and symptom recognition; and empower patients to take an active part in their care.

William Le Breton, patient representative

Former patient representatives

Jay Dowle, patient representative

“I believe that the key to effective lung disease management is a partnership between patient, medical staff and carers. I am a strong advocate of patient self-empowerment, through knowledge, activism and peer-to-peer organisation through social media and other channels. I am very pleased to be invited to be a member of this Taskforce.”
Jay Dowle, patient representative from January 2018 – October 2019.

John Conway, patient representative

“The broad base of organisations represented on the Taskforce gives me confidence that there is a concerted effort to make this initiative achieve a lasting difference for lung health in England.”
John Conway, patient representative from January 2018 – July 2022.

Julie Reynolds, patient representative

“I feel passionately about the Taskforce’s ambitions of raising awareness of the effects of air pollution and improving early and accurate diagnosis, which will result in the right support and medication being provided. Too often, people are misdiagnosed and given the wrong treatment, which can have dire results.”
Julie Reynolds, patient representative from January 2018 – March 2022.