Time to take action on asthma in South West

More than six months after the National Review of Asthma Deaths highlighted the complacency about asthma care, research from Asthma UK published on Friday shows that almost 8 out of 10 people in the South West are still not receiving care that meets the most basic clinical standards (79%).1 This is despite the fact that good basic asthma care prevents life-threatening asthma attacks and needless hospital admissions.

The research highlighted a shocking variation in care across the UK. Londoners fared worse than any other region, with only 14% of people in the capital receiving care that meets national standards. Comparatively 35% of people living in Northern Ireland received the right standard of care. This means that you are one and a half times more likely to receive better care in Northern Ireland than you are in the South West. (For more data from the report please see table in notes to editors).

Earlier this year Asthma UK welcomed the announcement2 by the Secretary of State for Health that every person with asthma would have an action plan by 2015. However today’s figures show that without urgent action at national and local level this target will not be met, as only 30% of people with asthma have a written asthma action plan. People who use an action plan are four times less likely to have to go to hospital for their asthma.

Kay Boycott, Chief Executive of Asthma UK, says: “Good asthma care is essential but we are still seeing too much variation in care across the UK. This means that there is an asthma postcode lottery; one where the gamble really is life or death. Six months ago the National Review of Asthma Deaths identified that two thirds of asthma deaths could be prevented with better care, as well as highlighting prescribing errors of a horrifying scale. This is simply unacceptable when every day, three families lives are devastated by the death of a loved one from an asthma attack, and tragically many have to live with the knowledge that these deaths could have been so easily prevented.

“There would be a national outcry if guidelines weren’t followed for other conditions; we absolutely have to end the complacency surrounding asthma care. It’s simple common sense – providing basic care will save money and save lives. We know that there are examples of good practice out there3 so we urge NHS leaders at national and local level to ensure these are rolled out across the UK and adopted urgently4.”

Every year asthma costs the NHS more than £1billion in medicines, GP visits and hospital admissions – and every 10 seconds someone is having a potentially life threatening asthma attack in the UK. On average the cost of an emergency admission for asthma is 23 times the cost of an annual asthma review5, but today’s research highlights that almost a quarter5 of people with asthma have not had an annual review in the last year. The charity is concerned that lives and money will continue to be wasted until the 1 in every 11 people with asthma receive the right care and support they need to manage their asthma effectively, preventing asthma attacks and hospital admissions.

Kay Boycott adds: “A national audit for asthma services was a key recommendation in the National Review of Asthma Deaths but six months after the review we still have no news on this; NHS England need to make their decision on this urgently. Our research provides a snapshot but we’re worried that this is probably just the tip of the iceberg. We need more comprehensive information if we are ever going to reduce asthma attacks and people dying from asthma”

Asthma UK is campaigning to ensure that every person with asthma has a written asthma action plan and is given care that meets national clinical standards. Please visit www.asthma.org.uk/takeaction-campaign to help us campaign to improve asthma care for everyone in the UK.