About the project

Around 200,000 people in the UK have severe asthma, this is a debilitating form of the condition that doesn’t respond to usual treatments and can cause people to be in and out of hospital.  In 2016/17 (the most recent data available) there were 77,124 admissions to hospital for asthma in the UK.

The care bundle was developed by the British Thoracic Society (BTS) with input from other specialist organisations. Five elements were selected as the actions most likely improve the care of patients and to produce an improvement in the outcomes being measured:

• Assessment of inhaler technique
• Review of medications
• Provision of a written action plan and patient self-management
• Consideration of triggering and exacerbating factors
• Appropriate follow up arrangements

The Asthma Discharge Care Bundle is designed to be used primarily for patients discharged from hospital following an acute asthma attack. The bundle can be applied to both adults and children, although special considerations may apply to children under five years of age.

Project ambitions

The key national programme ambition is to support an increase in the proportion of patients in acute hospitals receiving every element, for which they are eligible, of the British Thoracic Society Asthma Discharge Care Bundle to 80% by March 2023.

Find out more

Get in touch with a member of the project team below to find out how you can get involved.