The Department of Health is supporting the British Lung Foundation’s Isle of Man Patient and Carer Networking Events, which will take place on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th June at Keyll Darree, the Department of Health’s Education and Training Centre at Noble’s Hospital, Strang. The British Lung Foundation will run the first patient and carer event on Monday 13th June, starting at 12.30pm with the second taking place the following day, Tuesday 14th June starting at 10.30am. The events are free and open to anyone affected by lung disease. The event on the Monday will be opened by guest speaker and Chair of the British Lung Foundation in the North West, Professor John Earis, a leading Respiratory Consultant from the University Hospital Aintree. One person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease – this equates to approximately eight million people. One such lung condition is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). There are around 835,000 people in England diagnosed with this condition with possibly another 2 million living with it undiagnosed. These have been termed ‘the missing millions’. Currently in the Isle of Man there are 1,217 patients registered with their GP surgeries as having COPD, with a further approximated 2,478 still undiagnosed. Robert Cooper, Support and Development Manager at the British Lung Foundation for the North West said “We want to encourage anyone from the Isle of Man who has been affected by a lung disease or who may be concerned about their lung health to come along to our event to find out how we can support them. Being diagnosed with a lung condition can be a frightening, isolating and emotional time, not only for the person diagnosed but for their family, friends and carers. The British Lung Foundation Support Services provide support, information and advice for anyone affected and we want to extend this support to the Isle of Man.” The British Lung Foundation Support Services compliment the work done by healthcare providers, helping people feel less isolated, less anxious and more able to manage their condition. So far this year the British Lung Foundation Support Services have directly supported over 25,000 people through our Breathe Easy support groups, helpline and web community; and demand is increasing. Deborah Corrin, Respiratory Nurse Specialist at Noble’s Hospital said, “I would encourage anyone affected, concerned or interested in lung disease to attend this event. With an increasing number of people now being affected by a debilitating range of lung conditions on our Island, the community needs to embrace the generous support being offered by the British Lung Foundation which will greatly enhance the support available to sufferers on the Island and help us tackle the disease.” To register for one of the days please contact Deborah Corrin on 01624 650059. -ENDS-