High respiratory disease rate ‘is being tackled’

A high hospital admissions rate for people with bronchitis and emphysema is being tackled, Junior Health Minister Marcella Corcoran Kennedy told a patients’ conference yesterday.

Almost 400,000 Irish people have a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), better known as bronchitis or emphysema, but many cases go undiagnosed.

COPD Support Ireland said the country has the highest rate of COPD hospitalisation among OECD members and called for testing to be made available in primary care.