Back to School with a Wheeze…

• 5 years data, analysed as part of a whole system approach to reducing hospital admissions, shows striking peak which coincides with autumn return to school

• Reflects the experience of many northern hemisphere countries

Source: Teresa Keegan, Health Intelligence and Analysis, NHS Bradford and Airedale

Asthma: most common chronic childhood disease

• Asthma is a serious global health problem• Worldwide, its prevalence has increased over

past two decades • Affects nearly 1 million children in the UK• Creates a significant burden for health care

costs and reduced participation in family and school life for children affected

• Accounts for a higher number of emergency bed-days and emergency hospital admissions than any other paediatric long-term condition

Asthma in Yorkshire and the Humber (Y&H)

• Yorkshire and the Humber & North West: highest risk of admissions in England

• Y&H target to halve the number of children admitted to hospital

• Admission rates in Bradford and Airedale higher than the national and regional average Hospital admission rate per head of

population standardized for regional differences in age and sex. Source: Asthma UK, in Healthy Ambitions, May 2007

Rapid Improvement Programme

• NHS Bradford and Airedale, one of ten pilot areas supported by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, to: improve whole system working reduce the number of unnecessary presentations/admissions to

hospital reduce inequalities and differences in management of acute

wheeze • Members of the whole system group include Yorkshire

Ambulance Service, NHS Direct, Local Care Direct, Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (including A&E Consultants), Airedale NHS Trust (including A&E Consultants) NHS Bradford and Airedale, Bradford District Care Trust, Local GPs, Bradford Metropolitan District Council

Outcomes to date

• Draft traffic light guidelines agreed for diagnosing/treating wheezy/asthmatic child based on BTS/SIGN* guidelines

• PACE events held to consult on guidelines• Education programme planned for 20+ schools to improve the

awareness and education of the care of wheezy /asthmatic children. Roll out across 200 schools in Bradford and Airedale.

• Addresses competencies: 1 Surveillance and assessment of the population’s health and well-being; 2 Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of health and healthcare interventions, programmes and services; 3 Policy strategy development, and implementation; 5 Health improvement; 7 Health and social service quality; 8 Public Health Intelligence

*British Thoracic Society, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network