Concerns as asthma care 'varies'

Powys and Ceredigion had the lowest rate of emergency admissions

People in some parts of Wales are three times more likely to be hospitalised by asthma, than in other parts.

New figures released by Asthma UK show admission rates are highest in industrial Blaenau Gwent and Neath Port Talbot and lowest in rural areas.

Asthma UK also blamed the differences on some local health boards not taking the condition seriously.

The assembly government said it had improved care for respiratory conditions and issued the smoking ban.

According to Asthma UK Cymru, rates of asthma in Wales are among the highest in the world - more than 260,000 people with the condition live in Wales including 55,000 children.

Wales has 4,439 hospital admissions for asthma per year and has the highest proportion of children under 14 being admitted to hospital for asthma in the UK.

In Wales, the rural areas of Powys and Ceredigion had the lowest rate of emergency admissions but Cardiff also had a lower admissions rate.

Advice

Asthma sufferer Liz McSloy from Pontardawe in the Swansea Valley said she changed doctors after her original GP failed to offer the right support.

"When I first moved to the area from York and registered with a doctor, I said to him 'I am asthmatic"' and he said 'Well you have moved to the worst area for asthma, you might as well move back to where you were.'"

"I think attitudes like that don't help because I was very reluctant to go to him. I changed doctors in the end because I was not getting the support that I needed."

But 17-year-old Tom Clarke from Cardiff said he had been given good advice about controlling his condition.

"I do a lot of physical, practical education which then builds up the lung so I am less prone to having an asthma attack."

Asthma UK Cymru is now calling on every local health board to comply with a check list of services and show that they are taking one of Wales' most common chronic conditions seriously.