Asthma UK
Formation1927
Legal statusRegistered charity
PurposeAsthma in the UK
Location
Region served
United Kingdom
Main organ
Board of Trustees
Websitewww.asthma.org.uk

Asthma UK was a British charity based in London. In January 2020, it merged with the British Lung Foundation to become Asthma + Lung UK.[1]

History

The Asthma Research Council was started in 1927. At that time the annual income was between £1,000 and £4,000 a year. One of the first donations was used to pay for special asthma clinics at Guy's Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 1989 it became the National Asthma Campaign and in 2004, when support for people with asthma had become more important, it changed its name to Asthma UK.[2]

In January 2020, Asthma UK merged with the British Lung Foundation to become the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, or Asthma + Lung UK.[1] The organisation's last chief executive before the merger was Sarah Woolnough.

Activity

It established a new Centre for Applied Research in asthma at University of Edinburgh in 2014. It consists of a network of academics and partners, working collaboratively to improve treatment and care for people living with asthma [3]

In January 2017 it published the results of a survey of 4,650 patients showing that about 3.6 million people across the UK were not getting adequate routine care for their asthma. This should include an appropriate annual asthma review (more often for severe cases and children), the right medication and knowing how to use it, and a written asthma action plan.[4] In a further report published in August 2019 they showed that only 18% of patients with severe asthma — those prescribed high-dose inhaled corticosteroids — were referred to asthma specialists in secondary care.[5]

Fundraising

According to its last annual report published in June 2020, Asthma UK was primarily funded by donations and legacies (94%), while the rest was made up of investments (3%) and charitable activities (2%).[6]

Chris Tarrant, who has asthma, presented an appeal for the charity in 2013 on BBC television.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 "Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation set to merge". www.civilsociety.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  2. "How we began". Asthma UK. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  3. "Asthma UK research centre to be based in Edinburgh". BBC News. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  4. "Millions of UK asthma sufferers 'not receiving basic levels of care'". Guardian. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
  5. "Unclear guidelines mean four in five patients with severe asthma do not get proper care". Pharmaceutical Journal. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  6. "Asthma UK Report and financial statements for the nine months ended 30 June 2020" (PDF). Asthma + Lung UK. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "Asthma UK". BBC. September 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2017.
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