A GOVERNMENT Health Minister visited the area's NHS staff in support of a lung disease initiative.

Maureen Watt MSP and NHS Ayrshire staff joined for the fight against COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), a group of chest illnesses which affect over 100,000 people in Scotland.

The SNP member met chest patients and health professionals at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland's (CHSS) launch of My Lungs My Life, the first comprehensive, web-based, free training programme for people in Scotland living with COPD, asthma, and for the parents of children who have asthma.

The launch took place in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, November 18 to mark World COPD Day.

My Lungs My Life Project Manager, Fran Bailey said: "My Lungs My Life is full of interactive content, animations, film and audio clips plus information that can be downloaded directly from the site. It has been designed to provide practical tips and advice to help people understand and manage their own condition better and to work with health professionals to improve their health, wellbeing and quality of life."

CHSS worked in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland, British Lung Foundation and the University of Edinburgh to produce My Lungs My Life, which is funded by the Scottish Government.

Maureen Watt MSP, Minister for Public Health, said: "As someone who lives with asthma, I'm delighted to be involved in My Lungs My Life. People with asthma and other respiratory conditions, and their families, can sometimes feel anxious.

"They might feel constrained in their everyday lives, or worried about what might happen if they suffer an exacerbation of their COPD or an asthma attack in public. Through this website we want to show that, with proper self-management and support, there's no reason why asthma or COPD should stop you from leading a full and active life."

The content of My Lungs My Life was written by respiratory specialists from across Scotland and was reviewed by health care specialists and people living with COPD and asthma and their carers. You can access this dynamic lungs education tool by visiting www.MyLungsMyLife.org.