Corrie's Vera Duckworth Meets Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP To Discuss Living With COPD, UK

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 21 Jun 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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British Lung Foundation celebrity ambassador and ex Coronation Street actress Liz Dawn met Health Secretary Andy Burnham MP at the NHS Innovations Expo. Liz encouraged Andy Burnham MP to have a lung test and talked to him about living with the lung disease COPD. Health minister Lord Darzi and David Nicholson, Chief Executive of the NHS, also met with Liz and were given a lung test by a BLF specialist nurse.

Liz is heading up the BLF's 'Love Your Lungs' campaign during Breathe Easy Week (15th-21st June). Liz herself has the lung disease Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and will be talking about her experiences of living with the disease.

COPD is an umbrella term for a group of lung conditions including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, and is currently the fifth biggest killer in UK.

Liz Dawn, BLF Celebrity Ambassador says "It was great to have the opportunity to talk to Andy Burnham MP, Lord Darzi and David Nicholson. I encouraged them all to have a lung test and talked to them about the importance of early diagnosis and that lung testing should be included in the Government's new Health MOT".

Dame Helena Shovelton, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation said, "With the National Strategy for COPD due later this year, it is fantastic to have the 'queen of soaps' Liz Dawn as our celebrity ambassador. We really appreciate what Liz has done for the charity this week raising the profile of COPD in the media and talking about living with a lung condition."

Source
The British Lung Foundation

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