Diagnosing and Treating Asthma in Humber and North Yorkshire
Asthma is a long-term lung condition that causes breathlessness, coughing, and wheezing. Symptoms can vary in severity and may come and go over time. More than 100,000 people in our region live with asthma. Improving asthma care is one of our top priorities.
The Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) Respiratory Network and Children and Young People’s (CYP) Transformation Programme are working together to ensure everyone with asthma has access to safe, effective, and sustainable treatment.
Why Asthma Treatment Matters
Many asthma attacks are linked to:
- Overuse of blue reliever inhalers (short-acting beta agonists or SABAs)
- Underuse of steroid preventer inhalers (inhaled corticosteroids or ICS)
Historically, Humber and North Yorkshire has seen higher-than-average use of SABA inhalers, which can lead to poor asthma control and an increased risk of asthma attacks.
In 2023, asthma specialists and patients from across the region co-developed the first unified asthma guidelines for Humber and North Yorkshire. These guidelines aimed to support healthcare professionals in delivering better asthma diagnosis, safer prescribing and more consistent treatment.
Since their introduction, there has been a significant reduction in SABA overuse, leading to better outcomes for people with asthma.
2025 Updated Asthma Guidelines
Following the release of the 2024 national BTS/NICE/SIGN asthma guideline, the HNY asthma guidelines have been reviewed and updated. Our updated guidelines:
- Continue to focus on reducing SABA overuse
- Align with the latest national best practice
- Offer clear, age-appropriate treatment recommendations
- Provide tailored advice for
- children aged 2 – 5 years with suspected asthma
- children aged 5 – 11 years with confirmed asthma
- people aged 12 and over with confirmed asthma
- people aged 12 and over with suspected severe asthma
The guidelines are designed to support healthcare professionals when treating:
- Patients awaiting diagnostic testing
- People who are newly diagnosed
- Individuals with uncontrolled asthma who may need treatment changes