Diagnosing and Treating Asthma
There are more than 100,000 people living with asthma across Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY). Asthma is an inflammatory disease that affects the airways in the lung, leading sufferers to experience symptoms such as breathlessness, cough and wheeze that typically vary over time.
The HNY Respiratory Network and HNY Children and Young People’s (CYP) Asthma Taskforce are passionate about ensuring that everyone with asthma across the region can access high quality and sustainable asthma care.
Asthma guidelines
It is well established that over-use of short-acting beta agonist (SABA) inhalers and under-use of steroid containing inhalers (ICS) in asthma is associated with increased risk of asthma attacks and asthma related deaths. Humber and North Yorkshire (HNY) has historically had high levels of SABA-use.
The HNY Respiratory Network and HNY CYP Asthma Taskforce have worked with asthma clinicians and patients from across the region to develop a unified approach to managing asthma across all ages.
These guidelines recognise the importance of identifying and addressing SABA over-use in asthma and ensuring people with asthma receive the anti-inflammatory (steroid containing) inhalers that they need to control their asthma. Please follow the links to view the 2023 HNY Asthma Guidelines.
The following asthma guidelines are intended for use by clinicians working in Humber and North Yorkshire. These guidelines have been developed to inform treatment decisions for:
- People with suspected asthma that are awaiting objective diagnostic testing
- People with newly diagnosed asthma
- People with uncontrolled asthma considered by their clinician to require a change in treatment
- People considered by their clinician to require a change in asthma treatment for another reason
through shared decision making.
Supporting guideline implementation resources
Having a guideline that supports evidence-based, sustainable asthma care is not enough. To improve the care for asthma sufferers across the region, it is essential that guideline recommended care is implemented into practice. For this reason, the HNY Respiratory Network and HNY CYP Asthma Taskforce have developed a range of resources and educational materials to support practice change.
Useful links
SENTINEL Quality Improvement Framework
Clinical Care for Asthma (hnyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk)
Asthma Resources for Parents and Carers (hnyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk)