Lung Health Check Knowsley
Knowsley Place is working with local GP practices and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital to provide local residents with the opportunity to improve their lung health by having a lung health check.
The Lung Health Check is part of an NHS England pilot programme, which will go live in Knowsley at the beginning of June 2021.
Who is eligible to attend?
Residents in Knowsley will be invited to attend an NHS Lung Health Check if they are:
- Registered with a local GP
- Aged between 55-74 years old
- Currently smoke or have a history of ever smoking
An invitation letter will come to you from your own GP Practice, asking you to telephone the service to book an appointment to see a specialist lung nurse for this health check.
Please book your appointment as soon as you can, because the sooner any lung problems can be detected, the more we can do to help.
What will happen at the appointment?
To ensure patient safety with regards to COVID-19, at this present time Lung Health Checks will be completed over the telephone or online.
During this initial telephone appointment, a specially trained NHS Lung Health Check Nurse will:
- ask you some questions about your lifestyle, lung health, and health history (including any family history of cancers)
- give you advice around what you can do to help look after your lungs
The answers will be used to assess your risk of developing lung cancer or other lung problems in the future. If you are assessed as being at increased risk, you will be offered a low dose CT scan.
More information about the NHS Lung Health Check is included in the leaflet you will receive with your invitation letter.
Why is it important to look after your lungs?
Your lungs work hard every day to help you breathe.
They really don’t get much rest, in one day you can breathe up to 25,000 times! They carry oxygen from the air into your blood and release carbon dioxide from your blood into the air. Your body’s cells need this oxygen to work properly. Your lungs have a natural defence system to keep out dirt and germs but several things can damage this, meaning they can’t do their job as well.
There are lots of things that you can do to look after your lungs, which are just as important if you already have a lung condition, including:
- being more active
- eating a balanced diet
- stopping smoking
- making sure you have all your vaccinations if you are over 65 years old or have a long term condition
- knowing the warning signs and symptoms of lung conditions including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and lung cancer.