Research found that the majority of asthma-related deaths are preventable while the mum of a 10-year-old boy who died from an attack last year said ‘your life can change in a moment’
Asthma deaths have risen by a quarter as the understaffed NHS struggles to help people support their condition, a report has found.
Deaths from asthma attacks are up 27% since the Tories came to power after shooting up to around 1,500 fatalities a year from 2015 onwards. Research shows around two thirds of asthma deaths are preventable with a major risk factor being a recent emergency hospital admission but no follow-up care.
Asthma + Lung UK has published a report claiming the 5.4 million Brits living with the condition “are being failed”. Some 82% of patients are not getting an appointment with a GP or asthma nurse within the recommended 48 hours after an emergency admission – when they are most at risk of another serious attack. Some 40% of patients who ended up in hospital didn’t have a follow-up within 28 days.
Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Four people are still dying needlessly from this condition every day. Asthma care is in crisis. People are not getting the care they need and deserve. As a result the UK continues to have one of the worst asthma death rates in Europe.”
The charity says recommendations made in the 2014 UK National Review of Asthma Deaths have not been implemented. Over 12,000 Brits have died from asthma attacks since the publication of a landmark report a decade ago.
The charity says the Government must provide sufficient funding to ensure NICE guidelines are followed and all asthma sufferers receive basic care. Dr John Dean, clinical vice president at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “A decade ago, RCP’s report provided a clear blueprint for improvement from leaders in asthma care. Sadly the NHS is unable to deliver the care they know people with asthma need. This is unacceptable.”
Other risk factors identified in the new report include overuse of reliever inhalers indicating poorly controlled asthma, and underuse of preventer inhalers. Dr Andy Whittamore, GP and clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Too often I see people with asthma who have reached a point where they are in danger.
“They don’t recognise when they need to seek help. For example when they are using their blue reliever inhaler three or more times a week. It shouldn’t get to the point where someone is rushed to hospital fighting for breath. We need a better awareness of the seriousness of asthma, and a focus on supporting people to manage their condition themselves.”
There were 1,465 asthma deaths in the UK in 2023, up 27% from the 1,151 deaths in 2010. The latest five year average put annual deaths at 1,507.
Belinda and Ian Dowling from Portsmouth, lost their ten-year old son Warren to asthma attack a year ago. Belinda said: “They say your life can change in a moment and we didn’t know how true that was. Warren mostly managed fine with his asthma, but once or twice a year he’d have a really bad asthma attack and have to go to hospital, which was frightening.
“Then one evening last March, after he’d been fine in school all day and happily played with his little brother Cameron on the trampoline, he came to me and said he needed his inhaler. It didn’t seem to be working and he started to panic. Then while I was on the phone for an ambulance, he turned blue and stopped breathing. His dad did CPR until the ambulance arrived and got him to hospital, but there was nothing they could do to save him.”
Warren was one of seven siblings. Belinda was pregnant when Warren died, so he never met his youngest sister. She added: “Warren was always so happy with a cheeky smile on his face, even if he was getting told off – a real character.
“His siblings have all been coping in different ways. It comes up at random times. Seven-year-old Cameron asked me the other day why Warren didn’t come back out to play with him on the trampoline, when he’d promised he would.
“There has never been enough awareness of asthma, I want everyone to know how serious asthma is and for no one else to go through what we have. I know Warren would be really happy if his story could help others.”
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “Warren’s death is a tragedy, and our sympathies are with his family and friends. We are working to improve services for people with chronic conditions such as asthma so they can live longer, healthier lives.
“The NHS has established a groundbreaking lung health checks programme which will detect and treat more lung conditions and has set up 13 dedicated clinical networks to improve lung services across the country. We’re also looking into chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, as part of our forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy, which will allow us to ensure care is better centred around the patient.”
