Podcast - The impact of respiratory disease on mental health
This podcast is part of the PCRS 2025 health inequalities project and covers the impact of respiratory disease on mental health.
In this PCRS Health Inequalities podcast Noreen Grant, Lisa Cummings and Aaron Foulds (PCRS patient reference group representative) talk about the impact of respiratory disease on mental health. They cover:
- the link between mental health and respiratory disease and the overlap of symptoms,
- breaking the loop and treating/considering the whole person when coming up with a care/treatment plan,
- what positive action can be taken, and
- why it is so important for patients to have access to a psychologist when they need it.
Speakers
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Noreen Grant
I am a GP with a specialist interest in respiratory medicine, based in South Birmingham. My passion for respiratory medicine began whilst working in Australia, and I returned to the UK to begin specialist training in respiratory in secondary care. I changed career track when I decided that primary care was where I wanted to be, and so I subsequently qualified as a GP. Since then, I have been able to develop my expertise in respiratory medicine by working in the South Doc Services respiratory diagnostic hub, covering seven PCNs in South Birmingham. I really enjoy the range of pathologies we encounter, which reflects the diversity of Birmingham’s population. Outside of work I’m a proud mum to two young boys, and love to cook whenever I can, particularly outdoors! -
Lisa Cummings
Lisa Cummings is an Registered Nurse (Adult), Queens Nurse, Independent Nurse Prescriber and has completed the General Practice Specialist Practitioner Qualification. She is currently completing an MSc in Primary Care Health.
Lisa is employed by Black Country Integrated Care Board on an NHS England pilot as Senior Specialist Paediatric Children & Young People’s Asthma Practitioner. In this role the team provide education and support to Primary Care colleagues on early and accurate diagnosis, the delivery of essential asthma care and risk stratification across the Black Country.
With a background in Primary Care working as a Practice Nurse within Wolverhampton she has been involved in the development of new services to improve accessible services for our patients including Post Attack Reviews, PCN Respiratory Diagnostic Hubs and PCN Contraception services. Prior to this she worked within community Substance Misuse services, working with difficult to engage groups in both a voluntary and criminal justice setting. -
Aaron Foulds
Aaron is a severe asthmatic who is a keen patient advocate.
Aaron has been on Asthma UK’ Lay Advisory Panel before and during the Pandemic and has been a citizen scientist with The Rapid Eczema Trials. He has also has been a patient representative on the Bradford and Craven NHS Digital Integration Board.
Aaron has presented to trainee GPs on the mental health effects on severe asthma.
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Health inequalities are an exacerbating factor for respiratory conditions and negatively affect patient outcomes. PCRS aims to raise awareness and offers practical resources to help healthcare professionals to mitigate their impact.