Keele Research Repository

Background: The 10-year Finland asthma programme showed that educating healthcare workers, patients and families reduces hospital admissions and asthma-related deaths (1).

Aim: The Department of Health and the Scottish Government funded a 2-year pilot project through the British Lung Foundation to determine whether an asthma improvement programme could improve asthma outcomes in the UK (2).

Methods: The project involved the training and education of healthcare workers in Staffordshire and Scotland. Here we report the impact of this intervention in 51 separate general practices in Staffordshire. Data were then extracted from primary care databases to determine the effect of the intervention on recorded asthma incidence, control (using the RCP 3 questions) and treatment.

Results: The intervention recruited 51 separate practices serving populations of >250,000 in Staffordshire. From these 2,804 and 2,816 children had a diagnosis of asthma in 2014 and 2015 respectively. Following the intervention there was a significant improvement (p<0.0001) in asthma control in children within participating practices. There were no significant differences in the reported prevalence of asthma or overall treatment children received.