Treating smoking-related chronic lung disease will cost the NHS more than £2.5 billion per year by 2030, research suggests. Costs will exceed £2.3 billion per year in England and £200 million in Scotland.
Rising healthcare costs will be caused by a substantial increase in the number of people living with COPD in the coming years, say experts from the University of Edinburgh. They estimate that the number of people with a COPD diagnosis in England will be more than 1.3 million by 2030 compared to 1 million in 2011. In Scotland, the number will rise from 100,000 to 120,000.
The experts say healthcare services should adapt now to be able to meet the rising demand.
Dr Susannah McLean, one of the authors of the study, said: "Our findings suggest there will be a substantial number of frail, elderly people living with COPD in the coming years. I hope that advances in healthcare technologies will help to meet this rising demand."
COPD is responsible for more than a million hospital bed days each year in the UK, and 1.7 per cent of all hospital admissions. The study is published in the journal Scientific Reports.
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