AN air supply which helps people with sleep disorders and prevents hundreds of road accidents is to be made routinely available on the NHS.

The government's health watchdog NICE will recommend people with sleep apnoea - a condition where people stop breathing and wake up more than 100 times every night - are given pressurised air supplies to keep their breathing constant at night, helping them sleep better.

Doctors say if more people with the disorder get diagnosed and treated it could prevent them causing hundreds of car accidents, saving up to 400 lives and £400m over the next five years.

Jonathan Sklan-Willis, from Higher Broughton, Salford, was diagnosed with the condition six years ago.

He said: "It was taking over my life, I couldn't work or study.

"I had to keep pushing to get diagnosed because some doctors thought I was paranoid but I knew there was something very wrong with me.

"Now the treatment works very well for me, it has given me my life back - I would say to anyone who recognises theses symptoms - get then investigated and get help."

Experts estimate there are more than half a million people in the UK with sleep apnoea and they are between seven and 12 times more likely to have a road accident than those without the disorder.

Now people with the condition will be given continuous treatment using positive airway pressure or (CPAP). The treatment involves them wearing a face mask which is attached to a small pump and generates a flow of air through their throat to keep their breathing regular whilst they sleep.

Dr Peter Turkington, clinical director of respiratory medicine at Salford Royal Hospital, also known as Hope, said: "Around three out of four people with sleep apnoea do not know they have it and they can experience delays in getting treatment after diagnosis. We hope this guidance will raise awareness of the condition.

Long delays

"Nationally there have been some long delays in treatment for people once they are diagnosed, but CPAP is very cost effective treatment and waiting times are coming down across the country."

NICE yesterday announced that CPAP should be available via the NHS as treatment for adults with moderate or severe symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea.

Professor John Gibson, Chair of the Sleep Apnoea Group of the British Thoracic Society, said: "This is excellent news for people suffering from sleep apnoea and for society as a whole. Previously only half of those diagnosed with the condition in the UK have been able to access clinically proven treatment for the condition.

"This decision will not only improve the quality of life of people with sleep apnoea but also should reduce road traffic accidents caused by excessive sleepiness."

Frank Govan, of The Sleep Apnoea Trust Association (SATA), said: "Sleep disorders remain among the most under-diagnosed and under-treated of medical conditions. In one study sufferers had waited on average eight years before seeking help from their GP. Society as a whole is guilty of playing down the importance of sleep disorders, and trivialising excessive sleepiness."

People with sleep apnoea often snore, may be unusually sleepy during the day and may have problems in concentrating because of lack of sleep. It is more common in older people, those who are obese and among men.

Dr Gillian Leng, NICE Deputy Chief Executive, said: "Sleep apnoea can be a debilitating condition that affects both the individual and their immediate family. It can also have a wider impact through the increased risk of road traffic accidents caused by people with untreated or undiagnosed problems.

"This guidance will ensure that people with this condition, wherever they live in England and Wales, will be able to access an effective treatment that has the potential to significantly improve their quality of life, as well as reduce the number of road traffic accidents caused by excessive sleepiness."