Extra funding is being ploughed into a stream of initiatives in the city in a concerted effort to provide comfort for those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The condition is the sixth most common cause of death in the world and includes illnesses such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which are often caused by smoking and lead to shortness of breath, with the symptoms often worsening in winter.

Now York Health Group – a commissioning consortium made up of 24 local GP practices and representing more than 230,000 patients, which has analysed ways of preventing people with COPD having to go into hospital – has worked with NHS North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust to set up a string of schemes to achieve its aims.

York GP and group member Joan Meakins said: “It’s very important these new initiatives get started before winter and we urge people to contact their GP for more information if they, or somebody they care for, has the condition.

“This is one of the most exciting schemes North Yorkshire has ever seen and it will make a real difference for people with this condition.”

Specialist training in the condition will be offered to doctors and practice nurses which come under the group’s umbrella, while new computer software is also being installed in practices to highlight patients who need additional assistance, preventative treatment and regular check-ups, allowing care packages specifically tailored for their needs to be devised.

The group is also paying for 20 new Telehealth systems to be installed in the homes of those coping with severe COPD, which will monitor their blood pressure, pulse rate and oxygen levels and allow NHS staff to react quickly if their condition gets worse.

Meanwhile, sufferers are being encouraged to sign up for a Met Office scheme run through York Health Group, which links them to a free telephone warning system and alerts them of forthcoming weather conditions which could affect their health, with surgeries currently contacting patients about the initiative.