Asthma UK Northern Ireland

About Asthma UK Northern Ireland

Asthma UK Northern Ireland was established in 2005 so that our local staff can work within the particular systems and structures in operation in order to:

• understand the issues that matter to people in Northern Ireland and identify how we can help.
• build partnerships with the people and bodies that can help us to make a difference.
• maintain specialist knowledge of the health service and its priorities and know how to influence it.
• ensure that people with asthma are represented where decisions are made that affect them, whether at Stormont or Westminster. 
• identify and deliver projects of particular relevance to Northern Ireland.

Influencing policy

We lobby members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and government departments to get a better deal for people with asthma. We ensure that that the patient's voice is central to all policy developments in Northern Ireland.

We also work in partnership with local health professionals and other groups to improve services for people with asthma. For example Asthma UK Northern Ireland played a major role in influencing the new 10 Year Strategic Framework for Respiratory Conditions.

Asthma UK Northern Ireland was also an active member of the campaign which achieved a complete ban on smoking in public places from April 2007.

• Lobbying government in Northern Ireland
• Working in partnership in Northern Ireland

Training pre-school carers: Alert! to Asthma

Asthma UK Northern Ireland runs a programme of information sessions in Northern Ireland for pre-school carers.

The information sessions, called 'Alert! to Asthma', aim to equip early years carers with the knowledge of what to do in case a child in their care has an asthma attack.

Hundreds of pre-school carers have been trained in Scotland over the last few years, and the programme has proved so successul and popular that it is being rolled out over Wales and Northern Ireland.

For more information about the 'Alert! to Asthma' programme email Asthma UK Northern Ireland or call 02890 669736.

Publications

'Consultation with Users and Carers on the Draft Service Framework for Respiratory Conditions' 

Asthma UK Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke were asked by the DHSSPS to find out what people who use the health service and their carers felt could be improved.

•  Asthma UK Report to DHSSPS1.pdf (199 kb)
  

'The state of play'

To mark World Asthma Day on 1 May 2007, Asthma UK Northern Ireland has launched a report which unveils poor levels of care for people with asthma in Northern Ireland and is a call to action to radically and urgently improve asthma care.

• The State of Play (178 kb)
  

'A Moving Picture - Asthma in Northern Ireland today'

Detailing the reality of living with asthma in Northern Ireland, 'A Moving Picture' is based on in-depth interviews with almost 300 people with asthma in Northern Ireland, supplemented with data from asthma epidemiology expert body LAIA.

• A Moving Picture: Asthma in Northern Ireland today.  (376 kb)

Asthma Charter
This describes the quality of care you, as a person with asthma, should receive from your Health Service. It aims to ensure that everyone who works in the Health Service and government gives asthma the priority it deserves.

• Asthma Charter (45 kb)

Workplace Charter
'Asthma at Work - Your Charter' sets out ten recommendations to reduce the impact of asthma in the workplace, and provides information on asthma triggers and symptoms, instructions on what to do if someone is having an attack, and guidelines for employers on making the work environment an asthma-friendly zone.

• Workplace Charter (427 kb)

Get involved

We need volunteers from all parts of Northern Ireland to help with our work. If you can spare some time there are different ways of getting involved.

Can you share your story with the media or local groups? We need people who would be willing to talk about their asthma experience to journalists and speak about asthma in public. Follow the links below to find out how you can get involved in our work.

• Find out about speaking to people about asthma at local venues in Northern Ireland
• Share your story in the media to help us raise awareness of asthma
• Join our e-campaigners and help us to lobby online
  

Media work

For enquiries about any aspect of media work including local spokespeople, case studies and comments on asthma in Northern Ireland, please call our media office on 020 7786 4949.

Asthma UK Northern Ireland media releases 

• Revealed: Unacceptable differences in emergency hospital admissions for people with asthma in Northern Ireland
• Asthma UK Northern Ireland calls for urgent review of prescription charging system
• True danger of asthma highlighted in new campaign (592 kb)
• Asthma UK Northern Ireland advice for a flu-free winter
• Asthma UK Northern Ireland and Haynes launch health booklet in style of iconic ‘car maintenance’ manuals
• Minister promises action on asthma
• Kick Asthma holiday places available
• Kick Asthma holiday helps children with asthma in Northern Ireland
• Asthma in Northern Ireland – the true picture revealed
• Asthma ignorance is Deadly Serious