Parents of Cameron Good call for more asthma awareness
Over two thirds of patients in our region aren't getting the fundamental care they need to manage their condition.
The parents of a young boy from Hull who died from an asthma attack are calling for the condition to be treated more seriously.
New research today reveals how over two thirds of asthma patients in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire are not receiving basic levels of care to keep their condition in check.
Two thirds of asthma deaths are preventable with the right fundamental care.
Basic care includes being given the right medication, knowing how to use it and also having regular asthma reviews with their GP.
10-year-old Cameron Good from north Hull was seemingly fit and well when he suffered a severe asthma attack during football training back in 2014.
His stepdad, Craig Salter, says it proves just how unpredictabile the condition is:
"Cameron knew exactly what to do and was always taking his medication regardless. Yes, he suffered and got colds and had asthma attacks but he did always take his medication. He is someone people should look up to and realise that it is serious and not take it for granted.
"It's about both parents and patients taking responsibility for their asthma but also the GPs and having awareness in surgeries. If we campaign for this for the next 10 years and only save one life, that is one life that has been spared and that means everything to us".
Cameron's parents are currently raising funds to help provide Hull and East Riding primary schools with life-saving emergency inhalers. Craig said:
"In Cameron's case he suffered from what is called silent chest so having the equipment in that facility might not have helped him but there are people out there who it will help. Three people a day die because of an asthma attack and two of those deaths are preventable and a classroom of children die each year because of an asthma attack so if we can reduce that number and avoid those avoidable deaths, that is what we aim to do."
Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, said:
With the 2014 National Review of Asthma Deaths reporting two out of three asthma deaths are preventable with good basic care, it is hugely disappointing that the latest Asthma UK care survey shows little has changed since that damning report.
It is clear that expecting old ways to tackle long-standing problems won't work.
We must take a bold, new approach and take advantage of new asthma digital health solutions to transform the way asthma care is delivered and support self-management.
Digital asthma action plans, smart inhalers and automated GP alerts are just some of the ways asthma care could be brought up to date and help reduce the risk of potentially fatal asthma attacks.''
You can find out more about the Breathe for Cameron campaign by visiting: http://breathecharity.org.uk/