For many of us, breathing is something we simply do; we breathe in, we breathe out. However, for millions of people across the UK, breathing is something they have to think about. Chronic lung disease affects around one in seven individuals in the UK, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) killing around 25,000 people per year in England alone; the UK’s fifth biggest killer disease. Of course, lung diseases incorporate more than just COPD and asthma; the list includes conditions such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma, to name but a few. The burden that lung disease places on our healthcare system is immense. There is a clear need to support and educate healthcare professionals in order to further understanding of the issues involved and in respiratory health generally.

Relaunched in 2016, Respiratory disease in practice offers a broad range of topical review articles of interest to all members of the multidisciplinary respiratory team, from community respiratory nurse and respiratory technician through to medical director and across both primary and secondary care, and covering all aspects of the field; from clinical management and therapeutics to commissioning, staff development, training, policy updates and guidelines, providing a trusted information source for all. With regular columns from Asthma UK and the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists, the journal emphasises the practical aspects of respiratory medicine to ensure the best patient care. Published quarterly, with content primarily commissioned to a structured publication plan, Respiratory disease in practice will also consider unsolicited submissions at the approval of the editorial board.