Health charities have warned that the cost-of-living crisis is leading to patients cutting back on medicine, heating and food. Half of the 3,600 people with lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis surveyed by the charity Asthma and Lung UK said their health had worsened since the crisis began.
A fifth of those polled reported “life-threatening” asthma attacks as they cut back on medicines, heating and food. The charity warned there could be a “tidal wave” of hospital admissions as cold weather, an abundance of viruses and people cutting back on medicines, heating, food and electricity put them at increased risk.
It is calling for tailored financial support to help meet the increasing price of food and prescriptions, costing some people with asthma more than £400 a year. The survey found that 90% of people with lung conditions have already made significant changes to cope with the rising cost of living, such as 63% buying and eating less food, 15% cutting back on their inhaler to make it last longer, 5% borrowing medicines from someone else and 6% not collecting their prescriptions.
