First meeting of NI Respiratory Forum held on World COPD Day

Date published: 20 November 2025

The Forum, hosted by the Department of Health, comprises healthcare professionals, charities and government officials who will work together to improve respiratory services across the region to create better outcomes for patients. 

Respiratory disease includes a wide range of acute and long-term conditions, like COPD and asthma, and is the leading cause of unplanned hospital admissions in Northern Ireland. 

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: 

“I am delighted to see the development of the Northern Ireland Respiratory Forum and to see people coming together to work collaboratively to improve services for people living with respiratory conditions. 

“It is very apt that the first meeting of the Forum was on World COPD Day 2025.  We currently have around 58,000 people who have been diagnosed with COPD in Northern Ireland.  

“My Department continues efforts to improve services for adult asthma, interstitial lung disease, children’s specialist respiratory care and primary care and diagnostics. I have asked my officials to formalise these work streams into a plan for Northern Ireland, that builds on these priorities and extends into other areas such as COPD, oxygen therapy and others. A key element of the plan will be identifying care pathways which may require future funding, but also any system changes that can be achieved without additional investment. 

“The Forum will coordinate and oversee this important work.” 

Joseph Carter, Head of Devolved Nations at Asthma + Lung UK, one of the health charities taking part in the Forum, said: 

“We are delighted that the Department of Health is launching Northern Ireland’s Respiratory Forum and kick starting a tranche of work focussed on improving services for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

“By bringing together health charities, government officials and health care professionals, we hope that the group will work proactively to inform and push forward policies to help the many thousands of people living with COPD in Northern Ireland. 

“By working together, we can help advance lung health up the political agenda, helping to improve the lives and outcomes of people with COPD. 

“We would like to thank the Minister of Health and his officials for supporting the development of a strategy to improve respiratory health for people across Northern Ireland.”