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Minister supports call to tackle inequalities in asthma services
Health Minister Ivan Lewis MP was among the speakers at Asthma UK’s Parliamentary reception to mark World Asthma Day, 6 May 2008. 
At the reception, Asthma UK launched its 'Wish you were here?' campaign, highlighting the shocking divide in health and quality of life for people with asthma depending on where they live. Most worryingly in England, the figures show a staggering eight-fold difference in admissions between different Primary Care Trusts (PCTs).
As part of the campaign the charity also published the Good Asthma Services Checklist - a new resource to assist healthcare decision-makers to help improve asthma management in their local community and ensure a better level of service for people with asthma.
Dr Howard Stoate MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Asthma, hosted the event and welcomed over 100 parliamentarians, healthcare professionals and people with asthma to the event.
Health Minister Ivan Lewis MP congratulated Asthma UK on its work and endorsed the Good Asthma Services Checklist. He acknowledged the issue of health inequality in asthma care and recognised the need to enable service users to better self-manage their condition, working in partnership with their healthcare professional to get the best possible care. He highlighted the Government’s commitment to improving children’s services, acknowledging this area had been neglected in the past and mentioned that it was important to now look at how to make sure the services children and young people receive are adequate for their needs.
Other speakers included May Holloway, 17 (pictured) who has asthma and Rt Hon Kevin Barron MP, Chair of the House of Commons Health Select Committee.
‘I feel as a child my asthma could have been treated much better,' said May.
'There is a difference between a child and a young person and I feel doctors need to listen to how asthma affects their patients’ lives. When you are a young person with a debilitating illness such as asthma you need a lot of support for all aspects of your life and communication needs to be much stronger’.
Kevin Barron also mentioned that the Health Select Committee is currently looking into the wider issues of health inequalities and highlighted the need for a greater emphasis on increasing the uptake of care plans.
The Government have promised that by 2010 everyone with a long-term condition should be offered a care plan, but currently just 27% of people with asthma have one. The is one of a number of key measures contained in Asthma UK’s Good Asthma Services Checklist, which will significantly improve the lives of people with asthma. Asthma UK will continue to work with government and healthcare professionals to make this a reality.
See the main 'Wish you were here?' campaign page for further details
