DDB 40 British Lung Foundation
To: Claudia Rock
Committee Office
House of Lords
SW1A 0PW
From: Donna Castle
Parliamentary Officer
The British Lung Foundation
Date: 24 February 2004
Subject: Draft Disability Discrimination
Bill
1. The British Lung Foundation welcomes
the opportunity to contribute to the consultation on the Draft
Disability Discrimination Bill.
2. There is only one theme in your
terms of reference on which we feel qualified to comment. This
is point 6, the proposed change to the definition of disability.
3. The British Lung Foundation is
the only charity working to support the eight million people suffering
with all lung diseases in the UK.
4. We welcome the recognition of
cancer, HIV and multiple sclerosis as disabling conditions, but
also feel that severe respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) are equally disabling and should be included
in the Bill.
5. COPD is the only major cause
of death on the increase with an estimated 900,000
million sufferers diagnosed in UK. There were 24,247 deaths from
COPD recorded in 2002, compared with 11,573 deaths from breast
cancer and 3,275 transport related deaths.
6. People who have COPD are nearly
always short of breath. They have a persistent cough, and are
plagued with a thick, sticky phlegm. As the disease progresses,
patients can experience a lung attack - a sudden worsening of
symptoms, including extreme breathlessness, which can lead to
extended hospitalisation and death.
7. Many people with COPD have a
walking range of less than 25 yards which is accepted as a severe
disability by the Department of Work and Pensions when deciding
on disability benefits.
8. These lung attacks can be so
bad that 80% of those admitted to hospital with an attack say
the experience feels 'worse than death'
9. Lung attacks can be brought on
by just about any type of activity, even just walking from the
living room to kitchen to make a cup of tea or climbing the stairs.
10. A recent British Lung Foundation
(BLF) survey of 1,388 COPD patients, revealed that fear of an
attack is so extreme that many sufferers are simply too scared
to do what most people take for granted, for example being intimate
with a partner, going to the pub and joining in family events
like birthdays and weddings. The impact is such that many COPD
patients confess they have given up hope of ever being able to
live a normal life again
11. COPD is a little known disease
which affects many hundreds of thousands of people. The public
does not understand it. Recognition in the Bill is the only way
in which sufferers will be able to be considered on a par with
other equally debilitating, but better known, diseases.
I have enclosed a copy of the British
Lung Foundation survey 'Breathing Fear' for additional information
on the effect COPD has on the lives of sufferers.
We would be happy to provide additional
evidence to assist the committee in their consideration of the
Bill.
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