Asthma deaths: Enquiry on the way?

Breaking news – have just heard that we may be on the verge of success in getting a national confidential enquiry into asthma deaths in England.

This is something we have advocated strongly. There is one existing ongoing confidential enquiry into asthma deaths – carried out for East of England NHS – and this has come up with some striking conclusions. First, that a significant number of asthma deaths are among people being wholly managed in primary care. Second, that there is a strong element of allergy involved in many of these deaths.

Relatives of those who have died expect there to be a zero tolerance attitude to all asthma deaths. Sudden deaths among people who have not previously been hospitalised for their asthma are, of course, amongst the hardest to prevent. But if we know what factors make some people more vulnerable, we might be able to arrange better, more targeted care.

A national enquiry would produce a much more robust evidence base which could in time influence clinical guidelines and practice.

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