Healthy London Partnership is a collaboration between the health and social care system in London’s to support better health for Londoners. The Children and Young People’s (CYP) Programme was established to bring about transformational change in services for children and young people and to do things once for London.
One of its key priority programmes is to improve the care of children and young people with asthma.
'Why asthma still kills' - The National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) Confidential Enquiry report, May 2014. https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/why-asthma-still-kills
https://fabnhsstuff.net/fab-stuff/transforming-care-children-young-people-capital-asthma
https://fabnhsstuff.net/fab-stuff/using-digital-solutions-transform-asthma-care-children-young-people-london
Asthma is the most common long term medical condition in children. It cannot be cured, but with appropriate management quality of life can be improved. The National Review of Asthma Deaths in 2014 found deficiencies in routine care and treatment of asthma and lack of recognition of deterioration and management of attacks.
A group of leading clinicians and commissioners from across the capital have been working tirelessly over the last couple of years to try and improve the care across the capital. The programme has developed a vision and set of standards for care of children and young people with asthma and an online asthma toolkit to help implement the standards through the sharing of resources The key factor in the improvements is the whole systems integrated approach that includes all partners including parents and young people, acute and community providers, commissioners, schools, pharmacies and the voluntary sector .
Every year (around week 38) as children and young people head back to school asthma-related hospital admissions treble. The reasons for this vary but during the summer months children’s routines are often disrupted. Last year the CYP team ran an #AskAboutAsthma campaign to encourage small steps to help improve the quality of life for London’s children and young people living with asthma.
The key aims of the campaign were that each child or young person with asthma
• has an asthma management plan
• is able to use their inhalers effectively
• has an annual asthma review (as a minimum)
We also asked organisations to support the London Mayors Air Quality strategy by implementing simple things such as walking / taking transport to appointments or work and reduction of idling of engines.
To help them we produced an organisation air quality reduction toolkit available here and a number of communications materials here
The spread and enthusiasm was immense with around 8 million reach on twitter and Facebook and 10 million impressions.
This year we will be including a Music Challenge working with a group of musicians from KeyChanges running an #asthmarapchallenge with a prize of a studio recording for the winner as part of Fabchange70 check out the website here and follow us on Twitter @HealthyLDN #AskAboutAsthma #Myasthmapledge
London’s ambitions for asthma care for children and young people
#AskAboutAsthma Campaign, 11-24 September 2017: Evaluation