Asthma UK Scotland

About Asthma UK Scotland

Asthma UK Scotland is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 390,000 people with asthma in Scotland by:

• Supporting people with asthma in building relationships with their doctor or nurse
• Working across the health sector to improve services for people with asthma
• Working with the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government to get a better deal for people with asthma
• Raising the profile of asthma in the media to health providers and keeping people with asthma informed about the latest developments in asthma care
• Providing information sessions and support for carers of pre-school children with asthma

Influencing policy

By working with politicians, decision makers and partners we can highlight the extent of asthma in Scotland today and influence them to act wherever they can to minimise the burden on people with asthma and their families.

• Read about Asthma UK Scotland's lobbying activities
• Read about how Asthma UK Scotland works in partnership

Research

Asthma UK has a central programme of research across the UK, investing around £3 million in around 20 projects each year. Asthma UK also funds two professorial chairs and four fellowships.

Currently two of the fellowships are based in Scotland, as well as three of the research projects.

Fellowships
Dr Mike Thomas, University of Aberdeen
The focus of Dr Mike Thomas's work at Aberdeen is primary care asthma management: diagnosis, assessments and effective therapy. He is also the lead researcher in a joint project with Leicester University looking at asthma and dysfunctional breathing.

Dr Malcolm Shepherd, University of Glasgow
This study is examining how airway smooth muscle cells respond to different chemical messages in the body and can lead to changes and to the development of asthma.

Current research projects
Professor Jon Ayres, University of Aberdeen
This project is evaluating whether occupation can influence the development of asthma and respiratory symptoms in partners and children.

Professor Judith Allen, University of Edinburgh
This project is investigating whether chitin, a large sugar molecule found abundantly in nature, plays a role in the development of asthma.

Professor Neil Thomson, Western Infirmary
This project is evaluating the effect of statins on asthma control of patients with chronic asthma.

Dr Jennifer Cleland, University of Aberdeen
Dr Cleland and her team are investigating the effects of patient-centred asthma education for GPs and practice nurses.

Professor Aziz Sheikh, University of Edinburgh
A project looking at strategies to promote recruitment of South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis) into UK asthma studies.

Publications

This unique report provides an authoritative and authentic overview of asthma in Scotland today. 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind', investigates the impact of asthma on people living in Scotland. It highlights the severity of the problem and reveals how people are affected by asthma and what barriers exist to prevent them from controlling their asthma.

This report reflects the experiences and opinions of people with asthma in Scotland gained from Asthma UK’s National Asthma Panel. It features analysis of the responses of the panellists from Scotland.

• Download 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind' (399 kb)

What should people with asthma expect from their doctor or nurse? The Asthma Charter for Scotland lays out your rights as a person with asthma. Find out how to get the best possible care from your asthma doctor or nurse by downloading a copy of the Asthma Charter for Scotland.

• Download the Asthma Charter Scotland (77 kb)

Out There & Active: schools poster

This classroom poster for Scottish schools has information about asthma and exercise, and features Scottish judo star Euan Burton, who has asthma.  

• Read more about the 'Out There & Active'campaign
  
• Order an 'Out There & Active' poster from our publications section

Media work

Asthma UK Scotland's media office helps keep asthma issues high on the news agenda, while at the same time keeping people with asthma and health workers informed about the latest developments in asthma care. Asthma UK Scotland has now become the single, most authoritative voice on all aspects of asthma in Scotland. 

• Contact Asthma UK Scotland to sign up for press releases
  
  

  Asthma UK Scotland media releases

  • 21 May 2008: Asthma UK Scotland Statement on Scottish Government’s Smoking Prevention Action Plan (95 kb)
  • 6 May 2008: Differences in emergency hospital admissions in Scotland show there is no national health service for asthma
  • 26 February 2008: Asthma no penalty to sporting goals
  • 5 December 2007: Staged end to Scottish prescription charges
  • 19 November 2007: nu way 2 cntrl asthma
  • 9 November: Commonwealth Games 2014 (33 kb)
  • 8 October 2007: Xolair given SMC approval
  • 25 September 2007: St Andrew’s First Aid to include asthma information
  • 17 September 2007: Asthma UK Scotland welcomes plans to raise legal age for buying tobacco
  • 10 September 2007: Asthma UK comment on over-prescribing inhaled steroids in children
  • 16th August 2007: Asthma UK Scotland issues a statement on Audit Scotland report into the care of people with long-term conditions
  • Asthma UK Scotland and Haynes launch health booklet in style of iconic ‘car maintenance’ manuals
  • World Asthma Day marked by first ever Scottish conference on asthma (374 kb)
  • New plan to boost Scottish asthma care
  • At-risk groups urged to get flu vaccine by Scotland's top doctor (12 kb) 
  • smokefree1.pdf (36 kb) 
  • Deadly Serious.pdf (36 kb) 
  • Eating healthily during pregnancy may help to reduce asthma in your child (32 kb)
  • Scots most ignorant about asthma attacks
  • Asthma In Scotland – Out of Sight and Out of Mind?
  • Biggest ever survey of children with asthma highlights need for Kick Asthma holidays in Scotland
    
  
  

Get involved

Asthma UK Scotland needs volunteers from all parts of Scotland who can 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. Could you spare a few minutes to lobby your MP or MSP online? Follow the links below to find out about how you can get involved with our work.

• Find out about speaking about asthma at local venues in Scotland
• Tell your story in the media
• Become an ecampaigner

Training pre-school carers: Alert! to Asthma

Asthma UK Scotland has established a programme of information sessions throughout Scotland for people who work with pre-school children.

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 Scotland or call 0131 226 2544.