Annual Asthma Survey 2018

We learnt five years ago how two thirds of asthma deaths are preventable and still we find that three out of five don’t receive basic asthma care.

Asthma affects the lives of 5.4 million people across the UK. Every year, we run an Annual Survey to find out the experiences of people living with asthma and what care they receive.

In the 2018 edition of the Annual Survey, we found that three out of five are still not receiving basic care for their asthma, and that there are differing levels of care between generations, with the 18-29s receiving the worst level of basic care. 

For the first time we asked about asthma attacks and how people are managing them. We found that many people are managing their asthma attacks alone, and that the average number of asthma attacks a year could be almost four times greater than previously estimated. For more information on what to do in an asthma attack see our health advice.

Annual Asthma Survey 2018 report

The full Annual Asthma Survey report is available for you to download. At the bottom of the page you can find links to the appendices and a key findings presentation. 

Download PDF

This year’s report included new questions on asthma attacks and how they are managed, as well as the usual questions about asthma care and follow-up care after emergency treatment.

Some key findings from the survey include:

ARE THERE DIFFERENCES IN CARE LEVELS ACROSS THE GENERATIONS?

People with asthma aged 18-29 receive the lowest levels of basic care, while those aged 17 or under receive the highest level

DID YOU RECEIVE APPROPRIATE FOLLOW UP TREATMENT?

Less than a third of people who had been admitted to hospital for their asthma received the appropriate follow up care

HOW DOES CARE VARY ACROSS THE UK?

Care levels vary across the UK – ranging from 68% of people in Wales not receiving basic care, to 50% of people in Northern Ireland not receiving basic care

The number receiving basic care for asthma has doubled since 2013, but still three out of five are not receiving the basic asthma care they need to stay out of hospital and get on with their lives.

You can find out how basic asthma care varies across the UK by clicking through the maps below.

Read all the editions of this report

In 2013, we produced national reports for this survey. Read these reports below: