AQO 2762/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 11/11/2021
Answered On Date: 22/11/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health for an estimated cost of lung disease to his Department in each of the last five years.

Answer:

Lung disease is a broad term covering a wide range of airway, tissue and circulation conditions, which can be caused by a range of environmental, congenital and lifestyle factors. Diagnosis, treatment and management of respiratory conditions is provided across the full range of primary, community and secondary care settings.

Due to the nature of these conditions and how services are delivered, it is not possible to provide a full costing analysis of all the elements that would contribute to the cost of lung disease.

However, the estimated cost of hospital admissions due to lung disease and acute respiratory infections in each of the last five full financial years is as follows:

2015/2016 - £15.8m

2016/2017 - £17.6m

2017/2018 - £19.3m

2018/2019 - £19.1m

2019/2020 - £20.4m