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Found 45 results
  1. News Article
    A coroner has voiced serious concerns over a recurring "lack of observations" at London's Royal Free Hospital following the death of a teenager. Sixteen-year-old Billie Wicks died after suffering her first ever asthma attack. Her parents rushed her to the Hampstead hospital on 17 September last year, but a new report reveals the A&E department was "understaffed" that night. The coroner's concerns highlight a potential systemic issue at the hospital regarding patient monitoring. Senior coroner for Inner North London, Mary Hassell, said that Billie should have had routine checks, or observations, taken every hour. If she had these observations, then medics would have recognised the severity of Billie’s illness, Ms Hassell said. “Billie was inappropriately discharged at approximately 3.30am without adequate repeat observations or senior clinical review, and so her asthma was not diagnosed or treated. If it had been, she probably would have survived,” she wrote in a prevention of future deaths report. “Billie should have had observations every hour. If she had had these observations, the emergency registrar who discharged her would have recognised that she was not as well as he thought, and would have sought senior medical review. “That senior medical review would have changed the course of her management and saved her life.” Read full story Source: The Independent, 18 March 2025
  2. Content Article
    On 17 September 2024, Edwin Buckett, commenced an investigation into the death of Billie Wicks aged 16 years. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 6 March 2025. Billie had been brought to the Royal Free Hospital just before midnight the night before her death with an asthma attack.   A first presentation of asthma at the age of 16 years without any family history is unusual, and it was a busy night in the accident and emergency department. Billie was inappropriately discharged at approximately 3.30am without adequate repeat observations or senior clinical review, and so her asthma was not diagnosed or treated. If it had been, she probably would have survived. The MATTERS OF CONCERN are as follows: On the night Billie attended, the Royal Free emergency department was understaffed, and that it remains understaffed of doctors, nurses, and even a healthcare assistant who could take basic observations. Billie should have had observations every hour. If she had had these observations, the emergency registrar who discharged her would have recognised that she was not as well as he thought, and would have sought senior medical review. That senior medical review would have changed the course of her management and saved her life. The registrar who saw Billie the night before her death prescribed an antibiotic, but he was not in the habit of giving the first dose in the department and he did not on this occasion. This meant that Billie’s infection was not tackled as quickly as it could have been. This seems to indicate a training and potentially a guideline need. At the time of Billie’s presentation, the registrar was unaware of the possibility of adult onset asthma. This seems to indicate a training and potentially a guideline need. I heard that Billie was safety netted when she was discharged. Her parents were told to bring her back if they had any concerns. I have heard this safety netting advice being described many, many times in different inquests. What worries me about it in this context is that Billie’s parents had brought her to hospital because they were concerned. They were then reassured by hospital staff. It is therefore difficult to see how this particular advice could be a meaningful instruction. In reality, her parents’ initial concern was well placed and they had responded to it appropriately by bringing Billie to hospital. When Billie began to deteriorate again, her parents’ natural instinct had been blunted by their first visit to the hospital. Whilst I doubt that it would have made a difference in this case, I understand that blood pressure is not yet an observation included in the national paediatric early warning score (PEWS).
  3. News Article
    The number of people going to hospital emergency departments five times a year or more for breathing issues like asthma has risen by almost a quarter in the last year. Analysis of NHS England figures by Asthma + Lung UK found there were just over 42,000 visits to A&E in 2023/24 for breathing issues where the patient had gone to emergency five or more times within a year, a 22.9% rise on the previous 12 months. Nearly half (45%) of people who sought emergency treatment for asthma and 58% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had repeat admissions. Despite the rise, nearly half (49%) of the 3,428 patients polled by the foundation said they were not offered follow-up appointments for their condition, and 55% said better access to their GP would have helped them avoid A&E. Dr Sharada Gudur, a consultant respiratory physician in Lancashire, said: “Lung health in this country is in a critical state, and if urgent action isn’t taken, it will need resuscitation. “The challenges are deep-rooted, but they simply cannot be ignored.” Asthma + Lung UK pointed out new guidelines stated that if someone had gone to emergency they needed a follow-up appointment with an asthma expert, and have their treatment reviewed once a year. The foundation said if those guidelines were followed, there would be a drop in A&E presentations as well as asthma deaths, which have increased by 25% in the last decade. Read full story Source: The Independent, 18 March 2025
  4. News Article
    The cost of medication to treat asthma, the chronic lung disease, is stopping one in six US adults from taking their medication as it has been prescribed, researchers have warned. Furthermore, failure to stick to drug treatment was associated with nearly doubling the risk of an asthma attack and a more than 60 percent heightened risk of visiting an emergency department, they said. “Adults with asthma who reported experiencing cost-related medication non-adherence had a higher likelihood of experiencing asthma exacerbations,” Emily Graul and Dr. Christer Janson — of the Emory University School of Medicine and Sweden’s Uppsala University, respectively — explained in an editorial article linked to the research. Asthma can be treated using medications, lifestyle treatments, and inhalers. Inhalers are handheld devices that get medicine directly into peoples’ lungs. While Americans with asthma are more likely to have health insurance, the agency says most adults aged 18 to 64 report cost barriers. The prices of inhaled medicines have increased by an average of 50 percent since 2009, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. The cost of inhalers ranges between tens and hundreds of dollars, with some companies agreeing to a $35 cap earlier this year. On average, 10 people in the US die from asthma each day and more than 3,200 people died in 2022, the foundation said. An estimated 22 million American adults had asthma in the US that year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read full story Source: The Independent, 10 December 2024
  5. News Article
    A new way of treating serious asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) attacks could be a “game-changer” and is the first leap in treatment for 50 years, researchers say. Offering patients an injection is more effective than the current care of steroid tablets and cuts the need for further treatment by 30%, according to a study. Benralizumab is a monoclonal antibody that targets specific white blood cells, called eosinophils, to reduce lung inflammation. It is currently used as a repeat treatment for severe asthma at a low dose, but a new clinical trial has found that a higher single dose can be very effective if injected at the time of a flare-up. Scientists at King’s said steroids can have severe side-effects such as increasing the risk of diabetes and osteoporosis, meaning switching to benralizumab could provide huge benefits. Lead investigator Professor Mona Bafadhel, from King’s, said: “This could be a game-changer for people with asthma and COPD. “Treatment for asthma and COPD exacerbations have not changed in 50 years, despite causing 3.8 million deaths worldwide a year combined. “Benralizumab is a safe and effective drug already used to manage severe asthma. “We’ve used the drug in a different way – at the point of an exacerbation – to show that it’s more effective than steroid tablets, which is the only treatment currently available.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 November 2024
  6. News Article
    More than a million people in the UK have experienced life-threatening asthma attacks after cutting back on medicine, heating or food amid the soaring cost of living crisis, a survey suggests. One in five (20%) people living with asthma in the UK – of which there are 5.4 million – have had an attack as a result of changes they have been forced to make due to rising energy, food and household bills, according to the research by Asthma + Lung UK. Fuel poverty campaigners described the figures as “distressing”. Almost half of the 3,600 people with lung conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis surveyed by the charity said their health had worsened since the crisis began. Asthma + Lung UK warned there could be a “tidal wave” of hospital admissions in the next few months as cold weather, an abundance of viruses and people cutting back on medicines, heating, food and electricity put them at increased risk. Sarah Woolnough, the charity’s chief executive, said: “Untenable cost of living hikes are forcing people with lung conditions to make impossible choices about their health. “Warm homes, regular medicine and a healthy diet are all important pillars to good lung condition management – but they all come at a cost. We are hearing from people already reporting a sharp decline in their lung health, including many having life-threatening asthma attacks. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 September 2022
  7. Content Article
    Specialist inspectors have identified cases of Salbutamol inhaler overprescribing of up to six inhalers per prescription by online prescribers. This article explores the risks of prescribing high volumes of Salbutamol inhalers. It highlights the need for ongoing patient monitoring, counselling advice, inhaler device choices and discuss the clinical considerations when continuing treatment.
  8. Content Article
    In this episode of the NICE talks podcast, Consultant Respiratory Physician Dr Hitasha Rupani, Medicines Consultant Clinical Adviser at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Jonathan Underhill and asthma patient Sheba Joseph discuss NICE’s recently published patient decision aid on asthma inhalers and climate change. The tool supports people with asthma to consider whether they might be able to use inhalers which have a smaller carbon footprint as part of their treatment plan. View the NICE patient decision aid on asthma inhalers and climate change
  9. Content Article
    An estimated 1.3 billion people—16% of the global population—experience a significant disability today. People with disabilities have the right to the highest standard of health, however, this report by the World Health Organization (WHO) demonstrates that while some progress has been made in recent years, many people with disabilities continue to die earlier and have poorer health than others. The report demonstrates how these poor health outcomes are due to unfair conditions faced by people with disabilities in all areas of life, including in the health system itself. The report highlights that countries need to take urgent action to address the inequities in health caused by unjust and unfair factors within health systems. These factors—which account for many of the differences in health outcomes between persons with and without disabilities—can take the form of: negative attitudes of healthcare providers, health information in formats that cannot be understood, or difficulties accessing a health centre due to the physical environment, lack of transport or financial barriers. 9789240063600-eng.pdf
  10. Content Article
    Core20PLUS5 is NHS England's approach to reducing health inequalities at both national and system level. The approach defines a target population cohort and identifies five focus clinical areas that require accelerated improvement. This infographic outlines the specific Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing health inequalities for children and young people.
  11. Content Article
    M was a young boy who had severe asthma, resulting in regular trips to A&E. His condition was eventually well controlled with a Seretide inhaler. When M's family moved house and changed their GP, they requested a new prescription of Seretide, but when they got to the pharmacy were given the wrong type of inhaler used to treat a different form of asthma. The GP had unwittingly chosen the wrong medication from a drop-down menu. M and his family were unaware that he was taking the wrong medication, and after a few days, M became breathless and his family decided to take him to hospital. Sadly, he died on the journey to A&E. At the inquest, the Coroner found that there two main issues that contributed to M’s death: the unintentional prescription of Serevent the failure to arrange and organise follow up contributed to M’s death.
  12. Content Article
    This report from the National Asthma and COPD Audit Programme (NACAP) offers a view of the care of people with asthma and COPD in England and Wales, and is informed by 103,194 case records submitted to the audit programme. It is the first report to combine data on asthma, COPD and pulmonary rehabilitation across primary and secondary care services to underpin key messages, optimising respiratory care across the pathway. Recommendations Every person to receive an early and accurate diagnosis based on a guideline-defined approach and a plan for their care Care to be provided to people with asthma and COPD within the recommended timeframe after hospital admission, to support optimal outcomes People with asthma and COPD to receive care by appropriately trained healthcare professionals, at each stage of their care pathway, and Primary, secondary and community services to implement ways to work together, offering people with asthma and COPD a seamless pathway of care.
  13. Content Article
    This report from the National Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Audit Programme (NACAP) shows what happened after people were admitted to hospital with an asthma attack or COPD exacerbation between 2018 and 2020. The data show that many people are being readmitted to hospital within three months of going home and that some, particularly with COPD, are dying within three months of their exacerbation. Key findings Adult asthma: 0.4% died within 30 days of admission to hospital, 0.8% within 90 days COPD: 6.1% died within 30 days of admission, 11.9% within 90 days.
  14. Content Article
    Patient engagement is a key component of quality improvement in health. Patient activation is defined as the patient's willingness to manage their health based on understanding their role in the care process and having the knowledge and skills to do so. For children parents have this role. The Parent Patient Activation Measure (Parent-PAM) is adapted from Patient Activation Measure(PAM), a 13-point questionnaire designed to measure healthcare activation. PAM scores are stratified into "levels of activation": Level 1-does not believe the caregiver role is important (score ≤47.0) through to Level 4-takes action, may have difficulty maintaining behaviours (score ≥71). This study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, aimed to evaluate caregiver activation using Parent-PAM in a paediatric difficult asthma(DA)clinic.
  15. Content Article
    Salbutamol is a selective beta2-agonist providing short-acting (4-6 hour) bronchodilation with a fast onset (within 5 minutes) in reversible airways obstruction. The nebuliser liquids are licensed for use in the management of chronic bronchospasm unresponsive to conventional therapy, and in the treatment of acute severe asthma. A Medicines Supply Notification (MSN) issued on 14 February 2024, detailed a shortage of salbutamol 2.5mg/2.5ml and 5mg/2.5ml nebuliser liquid. The resolution date is to be confirmed. The supply issues have been caused by a combination of manufacturing issues resulting in increased demand on other suppliers. Terbutaline, salbutamol with ipratropium, and ipratropium nebuliser liquids remain available, however, they cannot support an increase in demand. Ventolin® (salbutamol) 5mg/ml nebuliser liquid (20ml) is out of stock until mid-April 2024 and cannot support an increased demand after this date. Actions to be completed as soon as possible and not later than 8 March 2024. All providers MUST: 1. Liaise with local pharmacy teams and place urgent orders for unlicensed imports of salbutamol nebuliser liquid - do not wait for supplies to be exhausted before placing orders for imports. 2. Wean all patients off nebulisers as soon as their condition has stabilised. 3. Consider use of high-dose salbutamol pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) via a large volume spacer in patients with mild to moderate asthma attacks or COPD (see clinical information) ensuring the patient is issued with a new inhaler to avoid risk of using a near empty device and can administer it effectively if not being administered by a healthcare professional. NOTE A Secondary care providers should: 4. Where a pMDI is not appropriate, prescribe salbutamol nebuliser liquids when required (PRN) rather than regularly (QDS), as early as possible during admission, if appropriate. 5. Prioritise supplies of salbutamol nebuliser liquids for the following indications: a. acute, severe exacerbations of COPD and asthma b. bronchospasm secondary to refractory anaphylaxis c. in patients who cannot use a pMDI d. other conditions where the use of high-dose salbutamol pMDI via a spacer is inappropriate e.g. moderate to severe hyperkalaemia Primary care prescribers should: 6. Review need for home nebuliser use, and if deemed necessary, determine if the patient has sufficient supplies of nebuliser liquid at home before issuing repeat prescriptions.
  16. Content Article
    Asthma was considered a risk for Covid-19 infection and hospitalisation early in the pandemic. Social distancing measures in 2020 were associated with lower rates of emergency visits and hospitalisations for asthma among children. Individual-level risk of Covid-19 infection was reduced with vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 for adults and children in 2020 and 2021, and several states sustained other infection prevention efforts (eg, face mask requirements) into 2021. Whether symptomatic asthma among children was associated with population-level Covid-19 illness exposure or mitigation strategies is not understood. The authors of this study hypothesised that symptomatic asthma would be positively associated with population-level Covid-19 overall mortality and would be inversely associated with population-level completion of the COVID-19 primary vaccination series and with state face mask mandates. In this study, which is the first population-level parent-reported childhood asthma symptom prevalence and Covid-19 vaccination study, the authors found that higher Covid-19 vaccination rates may confer protection against symptomatic asthma. Covid-19 vaccination yields prophylactic benefits against SARS-CoV-2 infection for individual children and may also protect against other human coronaviruses through cross-reactive antibody responses. Community-level immunity in states with higher vaccination rates may have helped reduce children’s asthma risk. In contrast, neither concurrent exposure to high population-level burden of Covid-19–attributed disease nor sustained state-level face mask requirements were associated with concurrent trends in parent-reported symptomatic childhood asthma.
  17. News Article
    Harry Miller was a popular teenager, appreciated for his sharp humour, ability to get on with anyone and eagerness “for the next adventure”. In the autumn of 2017, he was struggling with difficult thoughts and feelings of anger. Harry, who was 14 and lived in south-west London, confided his inner turmoil to friends and family. “I’m just having these anger rages,” he told his mother one day. “It’s like I just go crazy suddenly and I can’t control it. I don’t know what’s going on.” Two years previously, Harry had been prescribed the drug montelukast for his asthma. Unbeknown to his parents, a range of psychiatric reactions had been reported in association with montelukast treatment, including aggression, depression and suicidal thoughts. Harry’s parents, Graham and Alison Miller were not properly warned of the potential side effects. Their son was referred to the NHS child and adolescent mental health services in January 2018, but he missed an appointment because it was sent to the wrong person. On 11 February 2018, Harry was found dead in the family home, with an inquest later recording a verdict of suicide. He was described in a tribute by friends at St Cecilia’s Church of England school in Southfields, south-west London, as a “super star burning brightly”. Two years after his death, his father read an online warning about the adverse reactions involving montelukast by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It said these could very rarely include suicidal behaviour. Graham Miller said: “It is an absolute outrage that parents are being given psychoactive substances to give to their children without proper warning of the risk.” This weekend, the MHRA has confirmed that the drug is under review. A montelukast UK action group is calling for more prominent warnings of the drug’s possible side effects. Read full story Source: BBC News, 3 March 2024
  18. News Article
    A 10-year-old boy with severe asthma died as a result of multiple failings by healthcare professionals amounting to neglect, a coroner has concluded. William Gray, from Southend, died on 29 May 2021 from a cardiac arrest caused by respiratory arrest, resulting from acute and severe asthma that was “chronically very under controlled”. His death has led to calls to improve asthma treatment for children nationwide. The court heard that William’s death was a “tragedy foretold” having previously suffered a nearly fatal asthma attack on 27 October, 2020, which he survived. The coroner said that William’s death was avoidable, his symptoms were treatable, and he should not have needed to use 16 reliever inhalers over 17 months, but instead his condition should have been treated with preventer medications and should have been controlled. Julie Struthers, a solicitor at Leigh Day who represented the family, said, “In an inquest involving concerns with medical treatment it is rare for a coroner to find neglect, and even rarer for a coroner to find Article 2, a person’s right to life, to be engaged. This reflects the real tragedy of what happened to William, the substantial number of failures by multiple healthcare professionals in his care, and the importance of improving asthma treatment for children nationwide.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: inews, 22 November 2023
  19. News Article
    Higher Covid vaccination rates could help protect children against asthma attacks, according to research. While previous studies show that vaccination helps prevent Covid 19 illness, the authors believe this is the first study to assess whether Covid inoculation is associated with reductions in children’s asthma symptoms, by preventing viral illness in children with asthma. US researchers examined parent-reported asthma symptom prevalence in more than 150,000 children in the National Survey of Children’s Health between 2018-19 and 2020-21, broken down by US state. The data was then compared with the proportion of people aged five years and older who were vaccinated in 2020-21, as well as age-adjusted Covid mortality rates and any face mask requirements in enclosed spaces. With each increase of 10 percentage points in Covid vaccination coverage in US states, there was a 0.36 percentage point reduction in the rates of child asthma symptoms as reported by their parents, according to the study, published in Jama Network Open. Dr Andy Whittamore, the clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Two million children in the UK live with asthma. Infections such as Covid-19 and flu can cause irritation and inflammation in the airways of people with asthma. This can lead to an increase in mucus and narrowing of the airways, which in turn can cause symptoms such as breathlessness, wheeze, tightness in the chest and coughing and potentially trigger an asthma attack. “So it’s important for children with asthma to get any vaccinations they are eligible for, such as flu, to keep them safe. It’s also vital to make sure your child takes their preventer inhaler daily and always has their reliever inhaler with them.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 3 July 2024
  20. News Article
    Urgent government action is needed to stop preventable asthma deaths, a leading charity has said. More than 12,000 people in the UK have died from asthma attacks since 2014, according to Asthma and Lung UK. It said the figures meant "shockingly little" had changed since a major report a decade ago which found two thirds of asthma deaths could have been avoided with better care. People with asthma should get an annual condition review, a written action plan and inhaler technique checks. But the charity said people with asthma were being "failed", with seven out of 10 not receiving basic care, partly because healthcare workers were over-stretched. Asthma and Lung UK said 31% of asthmatics were "disengaged" with managing their condition, putting them at higher risk, according to its research. Ministers in England and Wales said they were trying to improve services. Read full story Source: BBC News, 24 April 2024
  21. News Article
    Women with asthma are twice as likely to die from an asthma attack compared with men in the UK, new figures show as health experts called for urgent research into the condition’s sex-related differences. They are more likely to have the condition, more likely to need hospital treatment for it and more likely to die from an attack, Asthma + Lung UK said. Over the past five years women have accounted for more than two-thirds of asthma deaths in the UK. The charity said the current “one size fits all” approach to asthma treatment is “not working” because it does not take into account the impact that female sex hormones during puberty, periods, pregnancy and menopause can have on asthma symptoms and attacks. More must be done to tackle the “stark health inequality”, it added. Between 2014-15 and 2019-20 more than 5,100 women in the UK died from an asthma attack compared with fewer than 2,300 men. Meanwhile, emergency hospital admissions in England show that, among those aged 20 to 49, women were 2.5 times more likely to be admitted to hospital for asthma treatment compared with men. Asthma + Lung UK said many people were unaware that fluctuations in female sex hormones can cause asthma symptoms to flare up or even trigger life-threatening attacks. It is calling for more research to examine the sex-related differences in asthma. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 27 April 2022
  22. News Article
    The UK has the highest death rate for lung conditions in western Europe, research reveals, prompting calls from health leaders for urgent action to tackle the “national scandal”. More than 100,000 people in the UK die from conditions including asthma attacks, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia every year, according to data analysis by the charity Asthma and Lung UK. Across Europe, only Turkey has a higher respiratory death rate than the UK, analysis of data up to 2018 shows. It described the UK figures as “shameful”, and said that lung conditions had for too long been treated like the “poor relation compared with other major illnesses like cancer and heart disease”. Even before the pandemic, significant numbers of lung patients were not receiving “basic care” from their GP services such as medicine checks and help using their inhalers, the charity said. Over the past two years, the health of thousands more has deteriorated while they waited for respiratory care, and diagnosis rates have fallen. Katy Brown, 64, a retired nursery nurse from Bristol, who was diagnosed with COPD in February 2021, said she was shocked by the lack of medical support she has received, and the poor general awareness of her condition. “I spent two years struggling to breathe and with constant chest infections, before I finally got a diagnosis of COPD,” she said. “Even now, over a year after my diagnosis, I’m still waiting for a test that will show how bad my condition is, and further treatment. “There is a lack of awareness about how serious lung conditions are and how terrifying it is to struggle to breathe. It’s like having an elephant sitting on your chest. If I’d been diagnosed with another serious condition like a heart problem, I believe my treatment and the way I was dealt with would have been completely different.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 February 2022
  23. Event
    until
    The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) would like to invite you to their webinar marking the launch of the new report ‘Management of chronic asthma in children aged 16 years and under’. Asthma is the most common lung disease in the UK, and diagnosis and management of the condition, particularly in children and young people can be complex. The case study in our investigation features a 5 year old who had a near fatal asthma attack. In this webinar you will hear from families, our HSIB investigators and from experts in respiratory illness including Dr Jen Townshend and Professor Andrew Bush. The webinar will provide an opportunity for you to explore in greater depth our findings, what we are recommending to improve the outcomes of children and young people with asthma, and give you an opportunity to ask questions. This webinar will help you understand how HSIB’s experience can be applied to your own healthcare setting, as well as finding out what work will be undertaken nationally to implement our recommendations. Register
  24. News Article
    A promise to ensure that people with severe asthma and smokers who want to quit can get the drugs they need has been broken by ministers and the NHS, a health service report reveals. Health charities criticised the persistent lack of access to vital medications for patients in England as very worrying and warned that it could damage the health of those affected. In 2019 the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and makers of branded medicines signed an agreement, called the voluntary scheme, to increase the number of patients able to obtain cost-effective medicines on the NHS. It covered five key areas of disease in which receipt of drugs would result in “high health gain”. These were cystic fibrosis, severe asthma, stopping smoking by using the drug varenicline, hepatitis C and atrial fibrillation and thromboembolism. However, a report which NHS England commissioned – but has not published – shows that while the target has been met for cystic fibrosis and hepatitis C, it has been missed for severe asthma and smokers seeking to quit using varenicline. It compares England’s progress against that in 10 other European countries, including France, Spain and Italy. “It’s deeply concerning that England languishes near the bottom of the league table for uptake of biologic treatments for severe asthma, the deadliest form of the condition,” said Alison Cook, the director of external affairs at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 December 2021
  25. News Article
    Children with poorly controlled asthma are up to six times more likely to be admitted to hospital with Covid than those without the condition, research has suggested. Scientists involved in the study said 5 to 17-year-olds in this category should be considered a priority for Covid vaccination. About 9,000 children in Scotland would benefit from the jab, researchers said. Vaccines are offered to the over-12s in Scotland, but not to younger children. In the study, poorly controlled asthma was defined as a prior hospital admission for the condition, or being prescribed at least two courses of oral steroids in the last two years. Prof Aziz Sheikh, director of the University of Edinburgh's Usher Institute and Eave II study lead, said: "Our national analysis has found that children with poorly controlled asthma are at much higher risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation. "Children with poorly controlled asthma should therefore be considered a priority for COVID-19 vaccination alongside other high-risk children." Prof Sheikh said it was important to consider both the "risks and benefits" from vaccinations. He added: "Emerging evidence from children aged five and older suggests that COVID-19 vaccines are overall well-tolerated by the vast majority of children." Read full story Source: BBC News, 1 December 2021
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