A team of specialist asthma practitioners in Cambridgeshire are working together to address health inequalities and improve outcomes for children and young people with asthma.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children and Young People’s Community Asthma Team is working with schools, pharmacies and local partners to educate and raise awareness for better asthma care.
The programme also works with GP practices to identify and review the highest risk patients – for example children who experience frequent asthma attacks or have had a hospital admission due to asthma.
Asthma is the most common long term condition among children and young people, with 1.1 million children currently receiving asthma treatment. It continues to be one of the top 10 causes of emergency hospital admission for children and young people in the UK. Children in the UK have poorer outcomes compared to those living in similarly developed countries, and outcomes are worse for children living in the most deprived areas.
Dr Karena Fraser, Addenbrooke’s Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Lead for the programme explains, “We want to make sure that children live their lives to their full potential and that their learning and development are not held back by asthma”.
Poor air quality can lead to worsening asthma symptoms and we are pleased to have strengthened our relationship with local housing providers to help ensure that people living in the most deprived areas are aware of how damp and mould can affect air quality in the home
Dr Karena Fraser, Addenbrooke’s Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Lead for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Children and Young People’s Community Asthma Programme
“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of people with asthma attending their asthma review every 12 months, after every asthma attack, or if they are needing to use their inhaler more than three times per week” adds Liz Honeywood who is the Senior Practitioner and Team Lead for the programme. “Parents often struggle to get time off work or afford the transport costs of getting to the GP surgery. Minimising the amount of time a child is absent from school is also a priority, so we are looking at different ways of reviewing high risk children and young people with asthma, for example, by running clinics in schools.
The Cambridgeshire team is one of eight in England who have received national funding following the publication of the NHS Bundle of Care for Children and Young People with Asthma in 2021, with the aim of supporting a more collaborative and proactive approach to asthma care.
The team is working with schools and other childcare providers to ensure they have the equipment and knowledge to recognise when a child is deteriorating due to asthma, and how to respond.
The team has also attended local family events and community locations over the summer holidays to raise asthma awareness and are supporting the national #AskAboutAsthma campaign which takes place between 9-15 September this year.
Now in its eighth year, the campaign encourages every individual involved in the care of a young person with asthma – from GPs and nurses to parents/carers, teachers and youth group leaders – to know about the four asks that can help every person with asthma to manage their condition and live full, active lives:
- Get an asthma action plan (opens in a new tab) in place
- Understand how to use inhalers correctly (opens in a new tab)
- Schedule an asthma review (opens in a new tab) – every year and after every attack
- Consider air pollution (opens in a new tab) and its impact on lung health
“There is a lot of complacency about asthma, but it is a serious condition that sadly kills enough children to fill a classroom every year in the UK and the statistics haven’t improved over the last 10 years.” adds Liz.
If a child or young person has regular asthma symptoms over a number of years, this can make them more susceptible to developing lung conditions as an adult. If we don’t treat conditions like asthma well in childhood, it will have an impact on the NHS in years to come.
Dr Karena Fraser, Addenbrooke’s Consultant Paediatrician and Clinical Lead
Dr Heather Noble, managing director of Cambridgeshire South Care Partnership, which is hosted by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), adds: “Each year, 1 out of 150 people in our local population has an emergency admission to hospital for a potentially avoidable flare of a long-term condition such as asthma. Finding ways to meet their needs holistically can help them to manage their health condition. This programme is an example of how working more closely with other NHS and public sector organisations can help us improve the health of our local population and address the challenges facing our services."
The programme runs until April 2025 and the team hope to secure permanent funding to expand their work across the whole of Cambridgeshire.