Written question WQ96662
- Asked by
- Russell GeorgeIndependent
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What assessment has been made of the potential benefits of using low-dose CT scans during any future lung cancer screening programme to identify undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease cases?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Welsh Government follows the independent, expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee which does not currently recommend screening for COPD. The Welsh Government expects health boards to deliver spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) testing in line with clinical standards and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. We have emphasised the importance of community-based access to spirometry in the Quality Statement for Respiratory Disease. NHS Performance and Improvement is developing new service pathways for new presentations of breathlessness, which are likely to support better community-based provision of spirometry and FeNO.