Northern Ireland Receives Best Asthma Care In UK

NEW report by Asthma UK reveals Northern Ireland leading the way in asthma care, but charity says it is ‘far from fixed’, with thousands still not receiving basic care, putting them at risk of a life threatening asthma attack

- 

People in Northern Ireland are more likely to get basic asthma care, which could prevent them from having a life-threatening asthma attack, than people anywhere else in the UK, according to a new report launched by Asthma UK today.

Falling Through the Gaps: Why more people need basic asthma car has revealed a postcode lottery of asthma care, with people in Northern Ireland being more likely to receive basic asthma care and those in Wales being least likely to receive it.

Everyone with asthma should get basic care which, according to national guidelines, includes getting an asthma review every year, being assessed to ensure they are on the right medication, being taught the correct inhaler technique and having a written plan on how to manage their asthma.

Three people die from asthma every day and, according to the National Review of Asthma Deaths, two thirds of these deaths could have been prevented with basic asthma care.

But while people in Northern Ireland are more likely to get better basic care than elsewhere in the UK, Asthma UK’s survey of more than 7,500 people with the condition in the UK has revealed that asthma care is ‘far from fixed’.

It is estimated that almost 100,000 people in Northern Ireland are still not receiving basic care.