THOUSANDS of asthma sufferers in Suffolk are battling with symptoms on a daily basis because they are being failed by the NHS, it was claimed today.

By JESSICA NICHOLLS, health reporter

jessica.nicholls@eveningstar.co.uk

THOUSANDS of asthma sufferers in Suffolk are battling with symptoms on a daily basis because they are being failed by the NHS, it was claimed today.

There are more than 10,000 asthma sufferers in Ipswich alone, but the National Asthma Campaign believes that many people are not getting the right treatments and support.

A spokeswoman for the campaign said that following a survey it was revealed that there were many people who were getting symptoms of asthma every day and this should not be the case.

Today, to mark World Asthma Day, the campaign has launched a ten point charter detailing the level of service that every patient should expect from the NHS.

She said: "We are saying that the Government should be making asthma a health priority.

"If they take on board the ten point charter we are launching, that will help patients in their every day lives."

She said that the survey showed 74 per cent of patients experienced symptoms on a daily basis.

The ten-point charter shows that patients should have access to specialist doctors and training on how to administer asthma drugs correctly.

Yearly reviews and fast referral to a respiratory specialist if the asthma worsened were also part of the charter.

There are five million people in the country who have asthma and it was found that four million of those are not treated properly which is leading to more emergency hospital admissions.

National Asthma Campaign claims there are 74,000 hospital admissions every year resulting from asthma attacks but three quarters of them were avoidable.

As well as the effect that it has on patients, it is claimed that dealing with the condition properly can also save money.

It costs £2billion a year to treat asthma patients, but Donna Covey, chief executive of the National Asthma Campaign said: "We believe that if asthma is correctly diagnosed and properly managed these costs can be cut dramatically."

WEBLINK: www.asthma.org.uk.