Asthma charity, Asthma and Lung UK, has told the BBC this week that urgent Government action is needed to stop preventable asthma deaths in the UK. Around 5.4 million people in the UK have asthma, which is a lung condition that can cause breathing difficulties.
Asthma and Lung UK pointed to statistics that show that more than 12,000 people have died in the UK from asthma attacks since 2014.
The charity said the figures meant that “shockingly little” had changed since a major report was released a decade ago which found that two-thirds of asthma deaths could have been avoided with better care.
Asthma care in crisis
Patients with a diagnosis of asthma should receive an annual condition review, a written action plan, and inhaler technique checks.
However, the statistics suggest that 7 out of 10 patients with asthma are not receiving basic care.
Asthma and Lung UK said 31% of asthmatics were “disengaged” with managing their condition, putting them at higher risk. It also said that many patients should be given more information to help them to manage their condition and recognise warning signs.
Head of policy for Asthma and Lung UK, Sarah MacFayden, said:
“Asthma care is in crisis. People are not getting the care they need and deserve. We don’t want to be saying the same thing in another 10 years. This is a problem we know how to fix.”
What needs to be done?
In the National Review of Asthma Deaths 2014 report, the Royal College of Physicians found that:
- Key risk factors for asthma deaths included poorly managed conditions by the over-use of reliever inhalers or under-use of preventative inhalers.
- Failure to follow up emergency hospital visits was a factor in needless deaths.
Something clearly needs to change.
Asthma and Lung UK said it wanted to see national targets introduced by the Government for reducing asthma deaths.
It also said that new technology, such as an app to help manage asthma, would be beneficial to many patients.
Clinical Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians, Dr John Dean, said it was “unacceptable” that asthma patients were not getting the help they needed. He called for moves towards more preventative care.
Comment
The statistics surrounding asthma deaths make for a shocking reading.
It seems clear that with appropriate care and management of the condition, these numbers would look very different, and it is unacceptable that very little action has been taken since the Royal College of Physicians report of 2014, which highlighted that two-thirds of asthma deaths could have been avoided with better care.
Priority needs to be given to addressing this major issue now. This cannot be allowed to continue with the safety of asthma patients so clearly at risk.
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Danielle Young is a Legal Director in our Medical Negligence team, which is ranked in Tier One by the independently researched publication, The Legal 500, and Commended in The Times Best Law Firms 2024.
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