A NEW support group is being launched for people suffering from lung disease in Hampshire.

Doctors from Southampton and Portsmouth are teaming up to launch the Wessex Interstitial Lung Disease (WILD) support group on Tuesday (sep 23).

Led by consultants Dr Sophie Fletcher and Dr Katherine Spinks, it is a partnership between Southampton General and the Queen Alexandra hospitals and is supported by the British Lung Foundation and Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the name for a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) which affects around 15,000 people aged 60-plus in the UK – particularly men and former smokers.

Dr Fletcher, clinical lead for ILD at Southampton General Hospital, said: “We are making great progress both medically and scientifically in the treatment of ILD, but it is just as important for us that we have the right support in place for patients as well.

“The WILD patient support group will enable patients and their families and carers to come together on a regular basis, talk about their experiences, meet staff and hear about the latest developments in treatment and research.”

IPF’s cause is still unknown but it is the most common ILD with 5,000 new cases each year.

In Southampton, Professor Luca Richeldi, consultant in respiratory medicine based at the NIHR Southampton Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, and his colleagues are at the forefront of research into the diagnosis and treatment of the condition.

The first meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn in Eastleigh and will involve presentations and a focus group.

For more details on how to join, email getinvolved@uhs.nhs.uk.