About the Taskforce for Lung Health

The Taskforce for Lung Heath is a collaboration of the largest ever group of organisations and individuals who have come together, as a team, to improve lung health.

The Taskforce 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. 

“The scale of the task facing us is bigger than any single organisation can hope to achieve alone. We are delighted to see so many organisations coming together with a commitment to improve respiratory outcomes for patients, saving lives and improving the quality of life for those being treated for lung disease. Dr Alison Cook, Director of External Affairs for Asthma + Lung UK and Chair of the Taskforce

In 2018, we:

  • published our five-year plan setting out 43 recommendations for what changes need to be made in the next five years. Read our plan.
  • issued a call for evidence to gather existing research, data and practices in support of changes to policy and services

We also conducted research in 2017 into patients’ and the public’s perceptions of lung disease. This will help to inform our future campaigning work to raise awareness about lung health. Read the key findings from this research (1MB, PDF)

In 2019, we:

  • established four working groups made up of Taskforce and Industries Forum members to drive the implementation of our recommendations. Read more about our working groups.

This is the first time that the lung community has come together to produce a plan to bring about the transformation that we desperately need. Our five-year plan sets out our framework to improve the nation’s lung health and provide better care for people with lung disease. There is much that needs to be done to change policy and services.

Dr Steve Holmes, Royal College of General Practitioners representative on the Taskforce for Lung Health 

Industries Forum

Representatives from the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, devices and digital industries make up an Industries Forum that contributes to the work of the Taskforce.

Lottie Renwick, Senior Policy Officer at Asthma + Lung UK chairs the Industries Forum. Collette Goldrick, NHS Engagement Partner at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry also sits as an observing member on the Taskforce. 

In 2018 the Industries Forum provided evidence and data. Read the Industries Forum submitted evidence for prevention and diagnosis (PDF, 560KB), and treatment, management and end of life (PDF, 550KB). 

In 2019 the Industries Forum members are representing industry views in the working groups.

The Industries Forum has no editorial control over the activities of the Taskforce.

Some Industries Forum members provide financial backing to the Taskforce. This is not a condition of membership to the Industries Forum and it provides no editorial rights. No Industries Forum members have voting rights on the Taskforce. Read about the Taskforce sponsors.

You can read answers to questions you might have about the Taskforce.

Working groups

In December 2018 the Taskforce published our five-year plan to improve the nation’s lung health and provide better care for people with lung disease. We identified 43 recommendations for changes to policy and services.

To help drive forward the implementation of our recommendations we have set up a number of working groups in the priority areas of:

Early diagnosis (2019 - present)

Chairs:

 
  • Carol Stonham – Primary Care Respiratory Society
  • Dr Steve Holmes - Royal College of General Practitioners

Medicines optimisation (2019 - present)

Chairs:

  • Dr Anna Murphy - Royal Pharmaceutical Society
  • Darush Attar-Zadeh - Primary Care Respiratory Society

Pulmonary rehabilitation (2019 - 2022)

Chairs:

  • Rachel Newton – Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
  • Rachael Colclough - Association of Chartered Phsyiotherapists in Respiratory Care

Data Tracker (2019 - present)

Chair:

  • Professor Jenni Quint - Imperial College London
  • Liz Rolfe - Public Health England

Workforce (2022 - present)

Chairs:

  • Dr Charlotte Addy - British Thoracic Society
  • Maria Parsonage - Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists

 

These areas have been selected because of the number of people they will benefit and the current opportunities to influence the delivery of the NHS Long Term Plan.

The working groups are made up of Taskforce and Industries Forum members who work together to influence policy makers, commissioners and providers to change policy and practice. The working groups contribute to the NHS Long Term Plan Respiratory Delivery Board and also monitor the progress in implementing our recommendations, share information and improve public understanding and awareness of lung disease.

Taskforce sponsors

We are grateful to the sponsors of the Taskforce. In 2023, these companies are supporting the work of the Taskforce financially but have no editorial rights: 

  •        AstraZeneca
  •        Amgen
  •        Chiesi
  •        GSK
  •        Janssen
  •        MSD
  •        Pari Medical
  •        Pfizer
  •        Sanofi
  •        Seqirus
  •        Takeda
  •        Trudell Medical
  •        Verona Pharma