Almost 1,000 asthma sufferers needlessly die every year ‘due to receiving poor care’
ALMOST 1,000 people a year are dying needlessly from asthma because of poor care, a study suggests.
In a survey, 65 per cent of patients said their care fell short of guidelines which say they should have annual reviews, medication and instructions on how to cope.
It means 3.5million Brits may not be getting the basic service they are entitled to — and 800,000 are at increase risk of potentially fatal attacks.
Asthma UK, which commissioned the survey, said the findings were “deeply concerning”. And they warned the shortfalls put 800,000 people at increased risk of potentially fatal attacks.
One in ten Brits who received care in an emergency even described this care as “poor”.
Dr Samantha Walker, from Asthma UK, said: “We are deeply concerned about this bleak picture of asthma care.
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“There’s a postcode lottery with millions not getting basic asthma treatment, despite the fact it is proven to save lives, and thousands saying the care they did get was poor.
“Healthcare professionals need to ensure they are giving patients this care and patients should proactively manage their asthma.”
In 2016, the last year for which data is available, 1,410 people died from asthma in Britain. Asthma UK says two-thirds of deaths are preventable, which means 940 could have been saved.