Asthma and COPD Information

BACK TO MAIN INDEX

How good Asthma and COPD control can help the NHS

The NHS is the first health service in the world who has pledged to reach Net Zero by 2040. Out of all the emissions from primary care, a whopping 13% of these are just from inhaler medication. If your asthma and/or COPD is well controlled, you will need fewer rescue (blue) inhalers, your health will be improved, and you are less likely to need emergency care.

There are many different types of effective inhalers available, but some have a higher carbon footprint that others. The NHS has asked GP teams to discuss with their patients about whether it is possible to switch inhalers to those that use less harmful gases during annual asthma reviews. This will bring us in line with other countries in the world and it will help the NHS to reduce their carbon footprint. Please do not stop using your inhalers but do ask your practice nurse, GP, or respiratory specialist about this at your next appointment. If you would like to discuss the possibility of making a switch earlier, please contact our reception team to arrange an appropriate appointment.

Visit our Sustainability page

For more information, please click on these links:

A reminder about the different types of inhalers (treatment inhalers vs rescue inhalers)

• A reminder about the different types of inhalers (treatment inhalers vs rescue inhalers)
• Short video animation: Greener Practice: What is asthma and how to treat it?

For an explanation of the different inhaler devices available:

• The Breathe Green Project
• Short video animation: Greener Practice: Inhaler device types for asthma
• Why switching asthma inhaler could be better for you and the planet
• NICE (National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence) patient inhaler decision aid

For more information, please look at the Greener Inhaler website

And please remember to return all your inhalers to your pharmacist, never throw them in your domestic waste. See more information about returning inhalers.