UPPER Nithsdale’s representative in Holyrood, Emma Harper, is calling for a lung health task force for Scotland.

It has been 10 years since the smoking ban was introduced and the Labour MSP, who is a registered nurse and co-convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Lung Health Cross-Party Group, feels the existing measures don’t go far enough.

The Scottish Parliament recently voted to ban smoking in cars where children are passengers. However, the number of deaths attributed to respiratory disease has flat-lined and there has been little change over the last 20 years.

Ms Harper said: “The big picture is that UK lung disease mortality is among the highest in Europe. The overall cost for lung health in the UK is £11 billion and It is £1 billion for us in Scotland. The BLF paper makes recommendations for similar investment and attention that cancer and cardiovascular disease have had.”

Fewer exacerbations of their condition lead to fewer admissions which leads to a reduction in costs. But the South Scotland MSP is calling for more to be done.

In a speech to parliament, during the Preventative Health Care debate, Ms Harper said: “The National Respiratory Advisory Group are working on a Respiratory Quality Improvement Plan with the intent to it being delivered across Scotland. The current document is being created.

“The work for the Scottish group would not be an uphill battle. The template has been created already. The Battle for Breath has already begun.”