Helping patients breathe better

12 March 2026 - Pioneering multilingual resources aim to reduce inequalities in breathlessness care

A series of research-based, multilingual resources, which have been co-produced with feedback from patients and community partners, have launched to help to make breathlessness symptom management more accessible across England.

Breathlessness affects more than 10% of adults in the UK and is common among people living with long-term conditions such as heart and lung disease, asthma and anxiety. It is one of the most frequent reasons for emergency hospital admissions and can lead to repeated hospital visits.

The project Breathlessness Support – Addressing the Ethnicity and Health Literacy Imbalance has been funded through the Q Exchange by the Health Foundation, and is led by Dr Sabrina Bajwah, Clinical Reader and Consultant in Palliative Medicine at King’s College Hospital. Developed at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with King’s College London, the Cicely Saunders Institute and the NIHR Applied Research Collaborative South London, the initiative has worked closely with patients, carers and community organisations to ensure the materials reflect lived experience as well as clinical evidence.

Dr Bajwah said:

“While breathlessness affects people across all communities, its impact is not experienced equally. People from ethnically diverse backgrounds are disproportionately more likely to experience severe breathlessness and require hospital care. Differences in access to information, language barriers, and health services that are not always designed with diverse communities in mind can contribute to these inequalities.

“Breathlessness can be frightening and overwhelming. Yet too often, the information and support people need is not available in their preferred language or in formats that feel accessible and relevant. By working in partnership with patients and community organisations, we have developed resources that reflect people’s real experiences and priorities. Our aim is to ensure that evidence-based guidance is available in ways that are meaningful, culturally relevant and easy to use.”

The resources are multimedia and include short, practical videos that can be easily viewed on mobile phones, alongside written and visual materials. Designed to support a range of access needs, they can be shared across healthcare, community and voluntary settings. The materials are available in English, Welsh and eleven widely spoken community languages across the UK, including South Asian, European, African and diaspora languages. They are freely accessible online for healthcare professionals, community organisations and members of the public.