The #BreatheEqual campaign shines a light on inequalities in respiratory care across the UK, with a focus on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
In the UK, approximately 3.4 million people are living with COPD, yet more than half of these are living without a diagnosis.1,2
COPD is also one of the leading causes of emergency hospital admissions in the UK, placing significant pressure on families and the NHS.2,3,4 It costs billions each year in care and its impact is felt hardest in deprived communities, making it a major driver of health inequalities.4,5
Learn More: We Need Your Voice
We encourage you to learn more about our recommendations for change in COPD care. We need your voice to ensure that in the future we can all #BreatheEqual.
- Write to your local MP
- Explore our Policy recommendations to reduce the burden of COPD
- See how you can get involved and raise your concerns: Patient infographic
How can you get involved?
1
Contacting your MP
Getting in touch with your Member of Parliament (MP) is one of the simplest ways to make sure your voice is heard. MPs are elected to speak up for your community in Parliament, so it’s important they hear directly from you about the things that matter most.
2
What is the role of an MP?
The role of an MP is to act as a link between their local community and Parliament. They have three primary duties:
- Representing local people: An MP is the voice for everyone in their constituency – the local area they represent in parliament. They help individuals in this area with personal problems (like issues with benefits or housing) and raise local concerns and campaigns in Parliament.
- Creating and debating laws: A key part of an MP's job is to debate, scrutinise, and vote on new laws and policies proposed by the government. They work in Parliament to shape the laws that affect the entire country.
- Holding the government to account: MPs are responsible for making sure the government is doing its job properly. They do this by asking questions in the House of Commons and sitting on committees that investigate government departments.
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Who is my MP?
You can find your MP by entering your postcode into the Parliament website’s – Find My MP tool . Their page includes ‘Contact information’ such as office addresses, emails and phone numbers.
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What might you want to talk to your MP about?
Your MP is elected to represent you. They’ll want to hear about your experiences, the challenges that you are facing and the changes you’d like to see.
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What should I write?
You don’t need to be an expert on the topic to write to your MP, they just want to hear from you about your authentic experiences and how they might be able to support you best. Remember personal stories are really powerful.
Helpful things to remember:
- Your MP might not know much about COPD, so explain the problem clearly including your personal experience.
- Always include your full address in letters or emails so you can be identified as a constituent.
- Be clear and polite about what you're asking your MP to do about the issue.
Remember, personal stories are powerful. They help MPs to understand why COPD care needs to change and why action is needed now. You can share how COPD has affected your life, and the changes that you’d like to see. This will help your MP know why they need to take action.
FAQs
Sanofi’s #BreatheEqual campaign spotlights the inequalities in respiratory care, including COPD, in the UK. As part of this campaign, we are working to prioritise these issues amongst patients, government, industry, and the NHS.
Sanofi’s goal is to see improvements in the awareness, diagnosis and quality of care for those living with respiratory conditions, no matter where they live. We believe that all patients in the UK living with respiratory conditions, including COPD, should be able to #BreatheEqual.
As part of this #BreatheEqual campaign, in partnership with Asthma + Lung UK, we launched Breathe Equal: Policy Recommendations to Reduce the Burden of COPD, a report calling for urgent action to address COPD.
The report, launched in Parliament in November 2024, calls on the government to create a National Respiratory Health Action Plan to improve diagnosis, management, and access to specialist care, while managing NHS pressures.
You can read a summary of these recommendations here
If you have challenges that you would like to raise with decision-makers we have put together some guidance for you to use, here.
References
1. Asthma and Lung UK (2022). COPD in the UK: Delayed diagnosis and unequal care. Executive summary and recommendations. Available at: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-03/delayed-diagnosis-unequal-care-executive-summary.pdf (Accessed October 2025)
2. NICE (2024), COPD: How common is it? Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease/background-information/prevalence-incidence/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20COPD%20was,2030%20%5BGOLD%2C%202024%5D (Accessed October 2025)
3. Hurst et al. (2020) Understanding the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations on patient health and quality of life. Eur. Journal of Internal Medicine, 73. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejim.2019.12.014. (Accessed October 2025)
4. NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, New hope for COPD sufferers thanks to Leicester patients. Available at: https://leicesterbrc.nihr.ac.uk/copd-help-study/
(Accessed October 2025)
5. Snell N., et al (2016) Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the UK: Findings from the British Lung Foundation’s ‘respiratory health of the nation’ project. Thorax, 71(3). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016- 209333.38 (Accessed October 2025)
MAT-XU-2502530 (V1.0) | October 2025