Campaign calls for shake-up in asthma treatment
A CHARITY has called for a major overhaul of asthma care after new research revealed that the condition is costing the UK at least £1.1bn each year.
Asthma UK also warned that there are at least 1,000 asthma related deaths in the country annually and that many patients’ basic needs were not being provided for.
The charity claimed that a different approach, which made the best use of new technologies, such as smart inhalers, was needed urgently to ease the burden on the NHS.
More than 270 people are admitted to hospital each day because of asthma attacks with at least three deaths daily, according to the most comprehensive study of the condition ever carried out in the UK.
The UK-wide research, led by the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research at Edinburgh University, found there were about 6.4m GP and nurse consultations for asthma each year.
Researchers estimated that at least £666m is spent annually on prescription costs in the UK alone.
On top of this, the country also spends £160m on GP consultations, £143m on disability claims and another £137m on hospital care for asthma sufferers.
The team said the findings confirmed the UK has one of the highest burdens of asthma in the world. The figures show more than 18m people in this country who are treated for the condition at some stage in their life.
Kay Boycott, the chief executive of Asthma UK, said: “Despite the fact we’re spending over a billion pounds a year on asthma, many people are still not receiving care that meets even the most basic clinical standards.
“It’s clear this has to change and a different approach is urgently needed.
“We strongly believe new technologies such as smart inhalers are the likely game changer that could reduce asthma attacks and ease the burden on the NHS.”
She said helping patients adapt their lifestyles could also have an impact on the cost and quality of suppport available.
She added: “Supporting people to better manage their asthma with new technologies would likely lead to healthier lifestyles, reducing the need for NHS appointments and admissions and freeing up care for those who need it most.”
Many are not receiving care that meets even the most basic needs. Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK.
Professor Aziz Sheikh, the director of the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research at Edinburgh University, said: “Even with conservative assumptions, we find almost 100,000 people are admitted to hospital and there are at least 1,000 deaths from asthma each year in the UK.
“This is unacceptable for a condition that, for most people, can be managed effectively with the right support from their GP.
“Greater focus on primary care is needed if we are to cut rates of severe asthma attacks, hospitalisations and deaths.”
The research was drawn together from national health surveys. It also used information from anonymised administrative, health and social care records from across the UK.