Improving asthma care and control this World Asthma Day (1st May) will drastically reduce hospital admissions, according to Asthma UK, the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 5.2 million people in the UK with asthma.
It is estimated that 75% of all admissions for asthma are avoidable. Of the people who have to go to hospital because of their asthma, one in four receive no information about follow-up treatment and a worrying 12% of people who have experienced an emergency hospital visit still don’t know what to do in an asthma attack.
‘Reducing the hospital admissions of people with asthma is a key aim for Asthma UK,” said Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the charity. “One in six people with asthma who have received emergency treatment for an asthma attack need emergency treatment again within two weeks. The effects can be devastating, both physically and mentally and many people with asthma admitted to hospital live in fear of the next attack being fatal.”
She added that asthma costs the NHS about £889m every year, and that caring for people who experience an asthma attack costs more than 3.5 times more than for those whose asthma is well managed.
“It is vital that people understand that although serious and widespread, asthma is controllable,” said Covey. “Through effective asthma care, unnecessary and traumatic emergency hospital admissions can be substantially reduced.”
Asthma UK has launched a report that reveals disparities in asthma management in England and Northern Ireland, arising from inadequate service provision. In response, the charity will provide an Emergency Care Pack, a new resource that will assist healthcare professionals who work in settings where they are likely to encounter people having an asthma attack to ensure a better level of service for people with asthma.
A wide range of basic asthma management information such as After Your Asthma Attack and After Your Child’s Asthma Attack will also be available through their website for carers and people with asthma to help manage their condition. Visit asthma.org.uk.
Activities to promote World Asthma Day are happening across the UK and various fundraising activities are also being held to help Asthma UK fund research into asthma and maintain services such as the Asthma UK Adviceline, which provides independent, confidential advice about asthma.
A recent study has shown that the vast majority of children with asthma in the UK do not have their condition under control. Read more: Asthmatic Children Still Not Breathing Easier.
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