Children and adults in the UK are dying needlessly from asthma attacks, according to a [b]Royal College of Physicians[/b] report, which found that in a quarter of fatal cases patients had received less than satisfactory care, reports [s]The Guardian[/s]. Complacency around the disease – which kills about 1,200 people a year – has to end. In its confidential inquiry into a sample of 195 deaths for which detailed records were available, the college found that a quarter had received less than satisfactory care and there was room for improvement in 83% of the cases. The National Review of Asthma Deaths is the largest study ever done on the subject. It recommends that every hospital and GP practice should have a named doctor responsible for asthma services, who should be a champion for improvement in care.
[link url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/06/asthma-patients-dying-needlessly-report-royal-college-physicians]Full report in The Guardian[/link]
[link url=http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/why_asthma_still_kills_full_report.pdf]RCP review[/link]