Call For Improved NI Asthma Care

There has been a call for an improvement in the care of people in Northern Ireland who have asthma. An average of three people die every month as a result of an asthma attack. Thousands more are admitted to hospital every year.

The charity, Asthma UK Northern Ireland, said sufferers needed to have a personal action plan to reduce the risk of an attack. It said those with well controlled asthma lessened the risk.

Claire Armstrong, from Asthma UK NI, said more funding was needed to help sufferers prepare for an attack. “We believe there should be more money put into primary care and care in the community and encouraging better self-management of asthma,” she said.

“This would avoid these emergency admissions which actually cost three and a half times as much as managing asthma successfully in the community.”