Substandard Healthcare Provided to Millions of Asthma Patients

Millions of asthma patients across United Kingdom are most probably receiving sub standard healthcare; says a study report by Asthma UK. Percentage of asthma patients not receiving appropriate treatment is as large as 86% they say. Numerically the number of such neglected patients is huge as well and stands at around 3.9 million. The study also reveals that these people are not even getting the basic healthcare that includes inhaler use, annual checkup and action plan to combat asthmatic attacks. While asthma can be prevented with adequate basic care, its absence is causing a lot of deaths over the years. In that respect only 14% of the patients are lucky since they receive the basic care for asthmatic conditions. According to Kay Boycott, chief of Asthma Care, “the number of people dying from asthma and being hospitalized needlessly in this country is unacceptably high. The NICE Quality Standard provides the NHS with the information and advice it needs to prevent asthma attacks and save lives, but without clear incentives to implement it, patients are telling us it is being neglected so far.”