Asthma UK raises its profile at 2010 party conferences

Asthma UK raised its profile among politicians in the autumn by attending each of the three main party conferences, which provided good opportunities to hear the views of the political parties and raise awareness of our campaigns by holding events and meetings and engaging in debate.

We collaborated with thinktank The Smith Institute and pharmaceutical company Novartis to host an event called 'Can Health Cuts Be Good For You?' . This was a lively debate about priorities for the NHS and money-saving reforms. Neil Churchill, Asthma UK’s Chief Executive, and Rosie Newbigging, Executive Director of Nations, Regions and Services, joined a host of MPs in a panel discussion, highlighting a range of cost-effective measures that will improve care for people with asthma, including effective self-management and retaining specialist nurses.

Among the guest speakers were Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow, Minister for Care Services; Labour MP Kevin Barron, the former Chair of the Health Select Committee; and Chris Skidmore MP, a new Conservative member of the Health Select Committee.

We met a range of other health charities and organisations that we can work with to strengthen our campaigns, and several MPs, including members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Asthma and the Health Minister Simon Burns. MPs from all parties recognised the need to improve support for people with asthma and we are following up the commitments they made to further our campaigns.