Our plan: one year on

It’s been one year since we launched the first ever national plan to improve the nation’s lung health. Here’s an update on progress made in each of these areas:

Read about our progress two years on

The Taskforce was set up in 2018 to develop a five year plan to improve lung health in England. Independent of government, it is a unique collaboration between patient representatives, health care professionals and other experts with a shared vision and passion for positive change.

The Taskforce Plan was published in December 2018. We set out 43 recommendations about how to improve the nation’s lung health. A few weeks later the Taskforce welcomed the new NHS Long Term Plan making respiratory disease an official priority for the very first time.

To take full advantage of this breakthrough, the Taskforce has established working groups for early diagnosis, using medicines correctly and pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). These mirror the current priorities in the NHS Plan so we have the best opportunity to influence practice. Our members have been working with the NHS and social care organisations, and with clinicians and commissioners, to encourage the changes needed to improve lung health.

The Taskforce identified these initial priorities in year one and here we set out the progress we have made against these. By 2024, we intend to have worked on ensuring the delivery of all the Taskforce’s recommendations.

We know too well what it feels like to go from being a person to being a patient. There is no greater change. We urge you to continue to listen to these issues that matter to us most as patients, so that we do not lose our voices as people.

Jay Dowle, John Conway, Julie Reynolds, Maxine Flewett – Patient and carer representatives, Taskforce for Lung Health


Each of the Taskforce working groups is led by what people with lung disease have told us is important to them.

The Taskforce for Lung Health has galvanised the collaboration and focus of respiratory professionals and patient representation organisations. Developing the priorities for lung health and a five year plan has driven this important work to improve outcomes for people, including the prevention of disease.

Wendy Preston, Royal College of Nursing

The Taskforce is only possible because of the expertise and commitment of our members. We would like to thank everyone who has contributed this year. We are also grateful to our sponsors. These companies have supported the Taskforce financially during 2019 but had no editorial influence over the content of this review. 

  • AstraZeneca
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Chiesi
  • Circassia
  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • My mHealth
  • Novartis
  • Sanofi
  • Seqirus
  • Trudell Medical
  • Verona Pharma