Asthma UK Cymru Calls For Greater Government

Asthma UK Cymru has welcomed the consultation on the respiratory strategy published by the Welsh Assembly Government, stating this is a significant step towards improving services for people with asthma and other respiratory conditions in Wales.

However, Asthma UK Cymru is disappointed that the consultation fails to address in detail many key issues affecting people with asthma.

For the 260,000 Welsh people living with this condition, the strategy has the potential to lead to significant improvements to health services and quality of life. Asthma UK Cymru has called on the Wales Assembly Government to work with people with asthma and other respiratory conditions, carers and patient groups to ensure the strategy fully meets their needs.

Nia Jeffreys, National Director of Asthma UK Cymru comments: 'While we welcome the publication of this consultation strategy, our own consultation with people with asthma, their carers and a number of health professionals has identified a number of important areas where the strategy needs to develop in order to be much more relevant and meaningful for people with this serious, widespread but controllable condition.

'We are now putting the emphasis firmly on the Welsh Assembly Government to listen to people with asthma and take action to ensure that their needs are effectively met.'

Asthma UK Cymru's response included seeking the views of people with asthma and their carers including holding three discussion groups, including one with a group of school pupils at a Welsh-speaking school in Cardiff and two with people with asthma and their carers. These groups highlighted that the strategy required development in the following areas:

-- Providing greater detail about the prevalence and severity of asthma in Wales and the pattern of care currently available to people with this condition.

-- Identifying how the Government will involve service users, carers and patient groups in developing the strategy and the action plan required to deliver its aims.

-- Extending the strategy to include childhood and adolescence as it currently focuses on adulthood only.

Asthma UK Cymru now recommends that the Welsh Assembly Government establish a national respiratory forum to include clinicians, service users, carers, patient groups and other professionals such as head teachers, to further develop the respiratory strategy and an implementation plan. The charity proposes that a local respiratory forum should be established in each of the 22 Local Health Boards to drive this work forward.

http://www.asthma.org.uk