MPs launch inquiry into UK asthma outcomes

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Respiratory Health is launching an enquiry into asthma and severe asthma outcomes in the UK.

The move was spurred by evidence that asthma outcomes have not been improving in recent years and are falling behind that achieved by international peers.

The UK has one of the highest incidences of asthma in the would, with more than 5 million people affected, and three people lose their lives because of the condition every day.

Yet two thirds of all asthma deaths are preventable, and, last year, a paper commissioned by The Lancet found that improvements against these key outcomes have stalled in the last decade.

The APPG said the purpose of its inquiry is to investigate the stagnation of asthma outcomes in the UK, 'to better understand why the UK lags behind most of its European counterparts in asthma outcomes and what practical steps can be taken to address this'.

As such, it will gather evidence on best practice and how this can be applied in the UK, with the final report to outline key recommendations for policy solutions.

“I am astonished and concerned that the UK has one of the highest levels of asthma in the world. Our inquiry will look into the reasons for this, the variation in outcomes between the UK and other EU countries and the differences between asthma and severe asthma,” said Jim Shannon MP, chair of the Group.

“We need to understand why UK asthma lags behind other European countries and we need to improve the outcomes for asthma and severe asthma sufferers, their families and carers.”