NHS 'fails asthmatics'

A charter for asthmatics has been launched

Four million people in the UK are struggling with asthma symptoms that could be relieved if NHS care was better, claims a survey.

The National Asthma Campaign believes that the vast majority of asthmatics are not receiving the right treatments and support.

There are five million people in the UK who have asthma - a respiratory condition which can cause "attacks" of severe breathing problems.

So far, the government and the NHS have done little to alleviate the plight of those people with asthma who struggle needlessly every day

Donna Covey, National Asthma Campaign

Patients can take a combination of inhaled steroids to reduce the likelihood of attacks, and other drugs to relieve the symptoms should an attack happen.

However, doctors are concerned that not everyone is getting access to the right drugs at the right dose - or access to chest specialists who could detect when additional help is needed.

The National Asthma Campaign says there are 74,000 hospital admissions every year resulting from asthma attacks - and three quarters of these are avoidable.

Better care outside hospital would mean far fewer emergency admissions, says the campaign.

Charter launched

It has issued an "Asthma Charter" detailing the level of service that every patient should expect from the NHS.

This includes access to specialist doctors, training on how to administer asthma drugs correctly, yearly reviews and swift referral to a respiratory specialist should the asthma start to get worse.

Donna Covey, chief executive of the National Asthma Campaign, said: "The human cost of asthma is immeasurable.

"So far, the government and the NHS have done little to alleviate the plight of those people with asthma who struggle needlessly every day with symptoms.

"As well as the human cost, there is the massive economic and social burden of the condition - it costs the UK £2 billion a year.

"We believe that if asthma is correctly diagnosed and properly managed, these costs can be cut dramatically."

The charter was launched to help mark World Asthma Day on Tuesday.