This section is intended for clinicians caring for children with asthma in primary, community, hospital or tertiary care settings.  Audit against the National bundle of care, London asthma standards,  the NICE quality standards and ongoing improvement are essential components of good asthma care.

• National bundle of care for CYP with asthma 
• NICE Asthma Quality Standard
• London asthma standards
• Example audit of asthma wheezy pathway in Bradford

Outcomes of an asthma audit in London

Healthy London Partnership in conjunction with Harrow CCG undertook an audit of the management of asthma care across London. This audit was intended to highlight potential preventable problems related to the management of attacks and also to stimulate change by health professionals in the treatment of attacks; in particular by assessing all patients within a few days of treatment for an attack and optimising treatment and reducing future risk. This report demonstrated that the implementation of a clinical asthma audit has helped decrease CYP hospital admissions by 16%, with obvious advantages for patients, their families and the local health economy.

• Download Management of CYP with asthma: a clinical audit report
• Download the data collection form, more information on how to complete the audit and an example report from Harrow’s audit. 

National audits

The Royal College of Physicians National Respiratory Audit Programme (NRAP) for England and Wales aims to improve the quality of care, services, and clinical outcomes for people with respiratory disease (including Asthma and COPD). It includes reports from previous National Asthma and COPD Audit Programmes (NACAP).  . PRIMIS asthma care audit tool for GP practices can be downloaded here. Visit the Primary Care Respiratory Society for more information on doing an asthma audit.

This section is intended for clinicians caring for children with asthma in a hospital or tertiary care setting. It outlines examples of best practice in the assessment, treatment and ongoing management of children and young people with asthma in an acute setting. (It will help you achieve standards 3, 4, 9, 19, 24, 32 and 37)

Audit against the London asthma standards and the Nice quality standards and ongoing improvement towards are essential components of good asthma care

  NICE Asthma Qualty Standard [QS25] 

  Example audit of asthma wheezy pathway – Bradford

Understanding childhood asthma in London

We are working with NHS Harrow CCG to audit management of children and young people’s asthma care across London. The aim is highlight potential preventable problems related to managing asthma attacks and stimulate change by health professionals in the treatment of attack. In particular, by assessing all patients within a few days of treatment for an attack, optimising treatment and reducing future risk.

Quick links to resources

A step by step online audit completion tool is available online to insert your audit results.

For more information contact Dr Mark L Levy, Respiratory Lead for Harrow: mlevy1@nhs.net

National audits

  The British Thoracic Society respiratory clinical audit programme undertakes an annual audit of paediatric care, visit the website for results.

  Results are also available via the National Child and Maternal Health Intelligence Network (Chimat) portal.

 Royal College Emergency Medicine (RCECM) audit – see page 4 for asthma

Signposting to more information and resources to help primary and community healthcare professionals use asthma audits and meet numbers 3, 4, 9, 24 and 37 of the standards.

The British Thoracic Society respiratory clinical audit programme undertakes an annual audit of paediatric care.

  Results are available on the British Thoracic Society website 

  or visit the National Child and Maternal Health Intelligence  network  

Understanding childhood asthma in London

Healthy London Partnership in conjunction with Harrow CCG undertook an audit of management of asthma care across London.  This audit is intended to highlight potential preventable problems related to the management of attacks and also to stimulate change by health professionals in the treatment of attacks; in particular by assessing all patients within a few days of treatment for an attack and optimising treatment and reducing future risk. This report has demonstrated that the implementation of a clinical asthma audit has helped decrease CYP hospital admissions by 16%, with obvious advantages for patients, their families and the local health economy.

Download the Management of CYP with asthma: a clinical audit report.

Quick links to resources

Further information on the audit can be downloaded here

Download the data-collection pro forma or use the online audit completion tool (insert your audit results online)

Example report from Harrow audit

For more information contact Dr Mark L Levy, Respiratory Lead for Harrow at mlevy1@nhs.net

PRIMIS asthma audit

The Asthma Care Audit Tool is available free to help practices audit their clinical data helping them optimise the management and care of patients with asthma and reduce their risk of exacerbation and hospital admissions.

  Go to the University of Nottingham’s website for more information 

  Visit the PrescQIPP website for an up to date auditable asthma register

  Visit the Primary Care Respiratory Society for the 2014 asthma audit information