The Asthma Podcast - Transcript May 2009

Luke: Welcome to the Asthma Podcast. Every month we’ll bring you news, research updates, asthma advice and ways that you can support us.

May is an exciting month for Asthma UK with World Asthma Day coinciding with the launch of our first national fundraising week Putting Asthma in the Limelight, we’ll find out about both events and we’re joined by diet and fitness guru Rosemary Conley, who is supporting our Limelight campaign. Asthma advice is also at hand, and one of our Adviceline nurses explains why it’s important for everyone with asthma to have a regular asthma review.

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Luke: Asthma is causing children throughout the UK to miss out on opportunities at school, according to a new Asthma UK report. The report’s launch coincides with World Asthma Day and to find out more Gordon Brown joins us from our Scotland office. Can you tell us a bit more about the report’s findings?

Gordon: We’ve spoken to children and young people with asthma across the UK and what they said to us was put into this report, which unfortunately paints quite a bleak picture of life for children and young people with asthma, particularly at school.

Half the children we spoke to said that their asthma meant that they had problems joining in with lessons and going on school trips with the rest of the class. Almost three quarters said they had problems joining in with PE lessons and 40% said that their asthma just stopped them from having fun.

A frequent worry for them was that teachers simply didn’t understand their condition, as a result children were either placed in protective bubble with teachers banning them from certain activities or conversely they were dismissed by their own form teachers as being melodramatic or overreacting. One particularly poignant example a young person was told by their chemistry teacher that their asthma made them a liability and was asked to stand outside a classroom while an experiment took place, clearly that sort of thing is not right and that’s what were trying to change.

Luke: What do you think are the main reasons that teachers lack confidence when dealing with children with asthma?

Gordon: I think first and foremost it’s important to say that Asthma UK is not attacking teachers and we certainly acknowledge the work that they do and that it’s not an easy task. We believe that teachers need clearer guidelines from the Government and much more support in terms of training and regular access to a school nurse.

There’s currently no system in place to audit the effectiveness of school asthma policies or if they are even being used. And teachers have to contend with the lack of school nurses available to help them carry out the policies and train them on how to use them. More support for teachers is urgently needed.

Luke: What do you think the Government should be doing to help improve the lives of children with asthma?

Gordon: Well I think one of the first things is that they should work towards introducing clear guidelines for schools and their responsibilities for supporting children with asthma.

I think they also need to develop and implement consistent standards for asthma. There’s an eight fold difference in emergency hospital admissions for children between health authorities across the UK but more needs to be done to tackle this huge variation and ensure that standards are actively implemented and monitored.

Scotland has children standards, Northern Ireland are currently consulting on children standards and Wales has a limited number and we want England to follow the example. To increase the number of school nurses we believe there should be access to a school nurse in every school. School nurses are well placed to play a key role in child’s health and well-being and can also pass on knowledge to teachers. For example the Westminster Government must ensure, as a minimum, its 2004 pledge for every secondary school in England and its cluster of primary schools should have a specialist school nurse in post by 2010.

Luke: And what more can schools do to help?

Gordon: Well first of all, all schools should have an asthma policy in place, which all teachers should be aware of and be able to use confidently. And to download the school policy pack which helps schools develop an asthma policy you can visit asthma.org.uk or call 0800 121 62 55. Schools should also demand regular access to an asthma nurse for the reasons that we’ve said before. They should provide teachers in dealing with children with asthma. Schools and early years organisation should contact the local Asthma UK office whether that’s in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland or Scotland to find out about our Alert to Asthma program for teachers and carersLuke: And where can people read the Missing Out report?Gordon: Just go to our website at asthma.org.uk/wad

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Luke: We’re delighted to be joined by diet and fitness expert Rosemary Conley who’s backing our campaign to turn the nation lime. Can you tell us why you decided to support our appeal?

Rosemary: Well I’ve had asthma pretty well all of my life and I think it’s something that when you do have asthma you need to make various adjustments in your life. And I think people need to understand that so I’m very happy to help in sort of promoting that awareness but also hopefully making people realise that even if you do have asthma, it needn’t hold you back.

It’s sort of a bit ironic really that I became a fitness guru and I have asthma so you know you can overcome a certain element but with the appropriate treatment and that is so key I mean when I think back to where I was when I first had asthma I mean the medication was so limited they thought I wouldn’t live to be on ten years old and here I am - you know, now 62 and fighting fit!

Luke: Fantastic. You mentioned when you were first diagnosed. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Rosemary: Well I can’t remember because I was so young. I was born and very quickly developed eczema and then I think when I was about two, the eczema turned to asthma and I really was quite poorly and at eight years old I went into hospital for various tests and just to see how I could be treated and so on. And then, as time went on, actually when I got to my teens I suddenly sort of, was more able to manage my condition much more and I think medication had improved somewhat by then as well.

Luke: And obviously a big focus of our national fundraising week is people to get out there and sort of challenge themselves and to have fun. Do you have any kind of top tips for fundraisers, on crazy ways that they might be able to raise money for us?

Rosemary: You don’t have to be too exotic in the way that you do it. I mean you obviously can do things like skydive and bungee jumping and things like that but those are complicated. If you want to do a fundraising event why not just think about going on a three mile walk or something, getting everybody together and doing it round your local park. One of the things that cities have is beautiful parks that many people don’t ever go to if they don’t actually work near them, or maybe they live out in the country or whatever but to actually go into one of the city centre parks and walk around and see the beautiful spring flowers is a great way to raise sponsorship and raise much needed funds for Asthma UK need to really help people and the research that is so valuable and necessary to help people who have the condition.

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Luke: A simple but effective way of keeping your asthma control is to have a regular asthma review. To find out more about these, we’re joined by Angela Jones, who is one of our asthma nurse specialists.

Angela: Hello

Luke: Can you tell us what is an asthma review?

Angela: An asthma review is an appointment with your doctor or asthma nurse and it’s an opportunity for you to talk about your asthma and discuss ways that you might be able to get better control of your asthma.

Luke: So what happens in an asthma review?

Angela: During your asthma review your doctor or asthma nurse should really ask you three important questions to really find out how well controlled your asthma is. The first question is: have you had any difficulty sleeping because of your asthma. The second question is: have you had any of your usual asthma symptoms during the day. The third question is: has your asthma interfered with your usual activities whether it’s your housework or going to school or something to do with work.

As part of your asthma review your doctor or asthma nurse should discuss the best way of controlling your symptoms and as part of this it would be god idea to ask for a written Personal Asthma Action Plan. One of these action plans gives details of your usual medicines and what to do if your asthma is getting worse, including what to do in an asthma attack.

Luke: Will your doctor or asthma nurse run through the medicines that people are currently taking?

Angela: Yes most certainly. Your doctor or asthma nurse should discuss your asthma medicines with you.

Luke: Who should have an asthma review?

Angela: Everyone with asthma should have an asthma review. Probably the best time to have an asthma review is actually feeling quite well, or when you think you’re feeling well anyway. And also somebody whose symptoms aren’t really well controlled or perhaps are getting worse.

Luke: And how often should they take place?

Angela: Every year really, if your symptoms are well controlled. More often if your symptoms are difficult to control. It’s also a good idea if you’ve recently changed your medicines. If you have a serious asthma attack or you’re admitted to hospital then it’s a good idea to go and ask for an asthma review. And also if your Personal Asthma Action Plan isn’t helping you get control of your symptoms that’s another time to ring up and ask for a review sooner rather than later.

Luke: Why would you say it’s important for people to have a regular asthma review?

Angela: Reviewing your asthma control, your symptoms, your medicines, getting a Personal Asthma Action Plan – they’re all ways of helping you get control of your asthma and keeping it under control. And that will then enable you to do all the things n life you want to do.

You can find out more about Personal Asthma Action Plan and our leaflet, Making the most of your Asthma Review on our website. Or you can order either of these by calling our supporter and information team at 0800 121 62 55.