Dwyfor Meirionnydd MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor, has called on the Welsh Government to develop a Wales-wide respiratory disease improvement plan as figures reveal Wales has some of the worst asthma outcomes in Europe.

Mr ap Gwynfor held talks with Asthma and Lung UK Cymru in the Senedd. The charity is the largest lung health charity in Wales, representing the one in five diagnosed with a lung condition, including 314,000 living with asthma in Wales.  

The MS has tabled a Motion in the Senedd with cross-party backing which notes that waiting lists for pulmonary rehabilitation is as high as three years in some parts of Wales and calls on the government to develop a long-term plan to improve the lives of people living with chronic lung conditions.

According to Asthma and Lung UK Cymru, two thirds of asthma deaths in Wales are preventable with better basic care.   

Mr ap Gwynfor MS said: "Wales has some of the worst asthma outcomes in Europe with only 25% of sufferers receiving basic asthma care in 2023. The absence of a new delivery plan has made things worse, with poor access to care and post-pandemic backlog contributing to poor patient outcomes.

"There are 314,000 people living with asthma in Wales, of which 59,000 are children. Despite these high numbers, access to respiratory care and rehabilitation services is lacking with some services struggling to recover post-Covid."Whilst it is welcome that the Welsh Government have developed a new quality statement, they are yet to publish a comprehensive implementation plan required to help improve outcomes for people living with asthma and other lung conditions in Wales."I echo calls from Asthma & Lung UK who have drawn up a raft of recommendations of how provision of respiratory care can be improved, including the need to urgently address improvements to self-care and increase access to basic care by ensuring patients are prescribed the right inhaler medication and device.

"If we are to substantially improve outcomes for patients then these recommendations must be heeded and I look to the Welsh government to engage constructively with these key asks and help lead improvements to respiratory care for patients across Wales."