'Cheaper drugs and better awareness' needed to reduce asthma deaths, says West Midlands expert
It's after Asthma and Lung UK's warned that "little has been done" in a decade since a landmark report into asthma.
Asthma and Lung UK has warned that "little has been done" in the decade since a landmark report into asthma, which set out how the majority of asthma deaths are preventable and what steps could be taken to help prevent these deaths.
The charity said that more than 12,000 people in the UK have died from asthma attacks since the National Review of Asthma Deaths report was published.
It said that "shockingly little has changed" since the report was published and that "asthma care is at a standstill".
Dr Jill Johnson at Birningham's Aston University says - treating asthma in its early stages is more beneficial for the patient.
"Often these serious cases can be seen in children which becomes a lot more difficult.
"The medications which have been approved to treat asthmatics can only be used in people over 12, so testing novel theraputics in the paediatric population can be quite difficult."
People in the West Midlands could have an easier time dealing with respiratory problems if there was more awareness of how to help someone having an asthma attack too Dr Johnson says.
"I think there could be more awareness around that - how do you confront oor how do you deal with someone who is having an asthma attack."
Asthma and Lung UK have called for more to be done to prevent asthma deaths including: the introduction of national targets; dedicated funding to ensure health services can deliver basic care and investment in technology to help people manage their condition.
Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy and external affairs for Asthma and Lung UK, said: "It's scandalous that 10 years on from the report's recommendations to improve asthma care, four people are still dying needlessly from the condition every day.
"Asthma care is in crisis. People are not getting the care they need and deserve. As a result the UK continues to have one of the worst asthma death rates in Europe.
"We don't want to be saying the same thing in another 10 years; this is a problem we know how to fix.
"With better care and support, people with asthma could manage their condition well and avoid life-threatening asthma attacks, while investment in research and innovation to develop technology to help people self-manage their asthma, could also be transformative like it has for conditions like diabetes.
"Not only will these changes save lives and improve people's health and quality of life, it will also reduce the impact of poorly controlled asthma on health services and help the NHS."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "We are working to improve services for people with chronic conditions such as asthma so they can live longer, healthier lives.
"The NHS has established a groundbreaking lung health checks programme which will detect and treat more lung conditions and has set up 13 dedicated clinical networks to improve lung services across the country.
"We're also looking into chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, as part of our forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy, which will allow us to ensure care is better centred around the patient."