Asthma patients not receiving basic care, charity says

Asthma UK has warned that millions of asthma patients in the UK are not accessing basic care they need to manage their condition.

The charity questioned more than 4,500 patients and found two-thirds had missed out on yearly check-ups, tailored advice and lessons in how to use their asthma inhalers.

Asthma UK maintained that while the figures are a slight improvement on 2015, the findings still suggest a bleak picture.

Statistics collated in 2015 showed that 1,468 people died from an asthma attack in the UK - the highest level in a decade.

The latest annual asthma care survey suggests: eight in every 10 people with asthma do not have their condition under control; almost half of the respondents said their asthma symptoms got in the way of day-to-day life; and although most said the care they received was either satisfactory or excellent, few received a full package of the most basic care.

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, commented: “With the 2014 National Review of Asthma Deaths reporting two out of three asthma deaths are preventable with good basic care, it is hugely disappointing that the latest Asthma UK care survey shows little has changed since that damning report. It is clear that expecting old ways to tackle long-standing problems won't work.”

Boycott added: “We must take a bold, new approach and take advantage of new asthma digital health solutions to transform the way asthma care is delivered and support self-management. Digital asthma action plans, smart inhalers, and automated GP alerts are just some of the ways asthma care could be brought up to date and help reduce the risk of potentially fatal asthma attacks.”