On World Asthma Day [Tuesday 2 May], Asthma + Lung UK Cymru is launching a major report, Raising the Bar to tackle the stark failings in asthma care in Wales. The charity warns that the “dismal rates” of people with asthma accessing basic care could be contributing to overuse of reliever inhalers.
The charities most recent Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2023 found that less than a quarter (24%) of people with asthma received basic care in 2022.1 The charity stresses that two thirds of asthma deaths are preventable with better basic care.2
The report highlights key failings and recommendations and says that the legacy of the pandemic looms over much of the Welsh NHS and lung health, including asthma care which has suffered. The charity stresses that poor access to care, a reliance on reliever (rather than preventer) medication and the absence of a new delivery plan, has left Wales with one of the highest respiratory death rates in Western Europe and asthma deaths remain high.3
The report reveals some of the major failings in asthma care which include:
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Only 24% of people surveyed with asthma received basic care.
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Almost half (48%) of people with asthma have poorly controlled asthma. This is being fuelled by the lack of basic care, and not enough research into different types of asthma.
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Almost 90% (88%) of people are at risk of being over-reliant on their reliever inhaler. This reinforces wider evidence that reliever inhalers are being over-relied upon.
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Only 47% of people surveyed had had their inhaler technique checked, a key part of managing your condition and staying well.
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37% of people surveyed said they did not feel supported after receiving emergency care. This follow-up care is crucial in preventing future asthma attacks through proper assessment.
The charity says the Welsh Government has published its Quality Statement for Respiratory Disease, which is welcomed, but without funding, it remains uncertain how we are going to tackle the poor respiratory health in Wales head on. With 1 in 5 people affected by lung conditions and Wales having one of the highest levels of respiratory death rates in Western Europe5, Asthma + Lung UK Cymru is making a case of why we need an improvement plan to implement the new quality statement.
Joseph Carter Head of Asthma + Lung UK Cymru said:
“This report shows why we must urgently raise the bar in asthma care in Wales. It’s no exaggeration to describe the Wales’s record on lung health as shameful. There has never been a better time to give respiratory health the investment and attention it deserves.
“Not only are our poorest communities affected the most, but women are also twice as likely to die of an asthma attack than men. We must address the stark inequalities and improve the care and support in people are currently receiving in Wales.
“The lack of basic care, poor diagnosis rates coupled with pressures on primary care, people with asthma in Wales are being left struggling to breathe without a proper care plan in place. Enough is enough. There has never been a better time for us to step up to the plate and make sure people with asthma get the attention, care and support that they so desperately need and deserve.
Louise, 52 from Newport says, “I suffer with breathlessness every day, they say ‘it’s just asthma’. I want people to take it more seriously”
“I had a bad chest infection when I was 19 and was struggling to breathe, I was told I had asthma and given an inhaler. Years went by and I was still getting out of breath and was given different inhalers. I felt like I was going from pillar to post without any real significant improvement or reason why I was feeling like this.
“In 30 years of living with asthma I have been seen by just one asthma specialist. I asked several times over the years to be referred but nothing ever came of it, and I just relied on self-managing my asthma at home without proper checks. I do feel if you don’t have a loud voice, people with asthma are often dismissed and left behind. People say ‘it’s just asthma’ but it can take away someone’s life. I want people to take it more seriously.
“I do believe people with asthma need to be supported more. I am not a person who gives up easily, but asthma does affect my mental health and I often feel frustrated when my lungs stop me doing the things I want to do. The weather and air pollution really affect my breathing, but I am fortunate that I know my triggers and take my inhalers as I should to keep safe and well.
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Notes to Editors
Asthma + Lung UK Cymru’s Raising the Bar Asthma report 2023 can be found here: Raising the bar – Improving asthma care in Wales | Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)
1) Asthma + Lung UK Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2023 which had 891 respondents in Wales
2) https://www.bmj.com/content/348/bmj.g3108
3) Eurostat data for 2011-2018, Causes of death - standardised death rate by region of residence. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/HLTH_CD_ASDR2__custom_20…
4) Asthma + Lung UK Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2023 which had 891 respondents in Wales of which 626 have asthma
5) Wales has one of the highest respiratory death rates in Western Europe: Eurostat data for 2011-2018, Causes of death - standardised death rate by region of residence. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/HLTH_CD_ASDR2__custom_20…