The latest audit report into asthma and COPD has found that only around half of adults and 40% of children ‘with asthma’ have any record of objective testing, and only a quarter of asthma patients have an up-to-date personalised asthma action plan.
The National Respiratory Audit Programme (NRAP) report for Wales (2021-2023) found 54% of adults and 40% of children with a diagnosis of asthma have a record of any objective measurement. Two thirds of adults with asthma had their smoking status recorded, but less than 1% of parents or carers of children with asthma were asked about the child’s exposure to second-hand smoke.
The audit also revealed that only 21% of patients with COPD had any record of post-bronchodilator spirometry in the last 2 years, and only 14% of patients with COPD (MRC score 3-5) had been referred to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in the last 3 years.
The audit makes a number of recommendations, including:
- Improving access in primary care to trained clinicians for accurate diagnosis of COPD and asthma
- Reducing exposure to second-hand smoke in children and young people with asthma
- Ensuring timely access to PR, and
- Promoting the use of personalised asthma action plans
Read the full report: https://www.hqip.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ref-439-NRAP_Wales-primary-care-clinical-audit-report-FINAL.pdf
