New plan to boost Scottish asthma care
02 March 2007

Children and adults with asthma in Scotland could see their lives change for the better with a raft of initiatives aimed at tackling their condition.

A three-year project involving NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, Asthma UK Scotland and the Scottish Executive Health Department will see the introduction of:

• Specialist asthma training for 450 nurses from every health board in Scotland to ensure best practice
• A frst aid plan and Asthma Attack Card for children under 12 to carry away from home to help in the event of them having an asthma attack
• Support for healthcare professionals in the form of a CD Rom and web page on www.educationforhealth.org.uk to encourage best practice during consultations and reviews with people with asthma

Rosie Newbigging, Asthma UK Executive Director of Nations Regions and Services, said: ‘Living with asthma is a daily challenge for many people in Scotland which affects their ability to lead a normal life or do many of the things we take for granted.

‘But with the right care and support from the health service, people with asthma can control their condition much more effectively and can change their lives, making it possible for them to live a normal healthy and active life.

‘The tools which this project has developed for healthcare professionals and people with asthma, are positive steps and will soon be beneficial in changing the lives of many thousands of children and adults in Scotland.’

Scotland has one of the highest asthma rates in the world - the condition affects 1 in 15 adults and 1 in 9 children and is one of the most common reasons for hospital admissions among children.