Memorandum submitted by Asthma UK (AQ
29)
As the voice of people with asthma, Asthma UK
welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Environmental Audit
Committee's inquiry into Air Quality. Asthma UK is the charity
dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 5.4 million
people in the UK whose lives are affected by asthma. We work together
with people with asthma, healthcare professionals and researchers
to develop and share expertise to help people increase their understanding
and reduce the effect of asthma on their lives.
Approximately one in eleven of the UK's population
of 61.4 million people is currently being treated for asthma,
5.4 million people.[49]
Air quality is of prime concern to people with
asthma and in our annual National Asthma Panel surveys, 66% have
told us that traffic fumes trigger their asthma symptoms and 71%
feel that the Government isn't doing enough to reduce traffic
fumes. Also, 29% say that a reduction in air pollution is the
single thing that would make the most difference to their quality
of life in relation to their asthma.[50]
COSTS
TO THE
HEALTH SERVICES
In 2007/08, there were over 74,000 emergency
admissions to hospital because of asthma.[51]
Asthma UK believes that up to 75% of hospital admissions for asthma
are avoidable. Hospital admissions are costly; the NHS's non-elective
spell tariff was £612 for 2007/08. Emergency hospital
admissions are estimated to cost the NHS over £61 million
per year[52]
and the NHS spends around £1 billion a year in total
treating and caring for people with asthma.[53]
Although the reasons for individuals' emergency hospital admissions
will be varied, it is reasonable to assume that poor air quality
is a factor in many admissions, as there is a large body of published
scientific research showing a direct connection between poor air
quality and asthma exacerbations. For example, studies have shown
a link between living close to main roads and respiratory symptoms,
particularly in children. Studies have shown that the worst traffic-related
pollutants in terms of health impacts are from diesel-powered
vehicles such as trucks, lorries and buses.
Caring for people who experience an asthma attack
costs over 3.5 times more than for those whose asthma is
well managed.[54]
Children are particularly susceptible to poor air quality and
the estimated annual cost of treating a child with asthma is higher
than the cost for an adult. In 2007-08, 38% of emergency admissions
for asthma were children aged under 15. Admissions per head of
population were more than twice as high for children as for adults.
COSTS
TO SOCIETY
Avoidable asthma symptoms have a considerable
economic effect outside the health services. Over 12.7 million
working days are lost to asthma each year[55]
and avoidable factors such as poor air quality affect local economic
activities. For example, in our National Asthma Panel survey,
42% told us that traffic fumes discouraged them from walking or
shopping in congested areas.
We estimate the annual cost of asthma to society
is £2.3 billion,[56]
so there is a compelling economic argument to support initiatives
to reduce the expenses incurred by avoidable hospital admissions
and lost working days.
EUROPEAN
LEGISLATION
In December last year, the European Union rejected
the UK's bid for extra time to reach its air quality targets.
Although the EU's statement did not mention penalties, it is possible
that the UK could be fined; this is another avoidable cost of
failure to reach air quality targets.
GOVERNMENT
ACTION
All of these factors make a compelling economic
argument for sustained action to improve air quality. The Government
should ensure that UK law is compliant with EU air quality legislation.
Efforts to achieve emission targets should be monitored and the
public should be informed of progress. There should be effective
incentives and sanctions in place to ensure that air quality targets
are met. Asthma UK supports effective local measures to reduce
levels of airborne pollution such as, for example, Low Emission
Zones in urban areas, incentives to encourage the use of low-emission
vehicles and effective enforcement of industrial emissions regulations.
National governments across the UK should be proactive in helping
society work towards cleaner air. There will be clear savings
in costs to the health services and to the general economy.
11 February 2010
Unit Costs of Health and Social Care 2004, Lesley
Curtis, Ann Netten, PSSRU, University of Kent
Prescribing: Source: Department of Health, Prescription
Cost Analysis 2004:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/Scottish
Health Statistics 2004/05
http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=1041&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&
Health of Wales Information Service 2004 http://www.wales.nhs.uk/page.cfm?orgid=1&pid=975
Central Services Agency, Northern Ireland 2004 http://www.centralservicesagency.com/display/statistics
Admisisons: DH reference costs 2004
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/FinanceAndPlanning/NHSReferenceCosts/fs/en
Unit Costs of Health and Social Care 2004, Lesley
Curtis, Ann Netten, PSSRU, University of Kent
Prescribing: Source: Department of Health, Prescription
Cost Analysis 2004
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsStatistics/
Scottish Health Statistics 2004-05
http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/info3.jsp?pContentID=1041&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&Health
of
Wales Information Service 2004
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/page.cfm?orgid=1&pid=975
Central Services Agency, Northern Ireland 2004
http://www.centralservicesagency.com/display/statistics
Admisisons: DH reference costs 2004
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/FinanceAndPlanning/NHSReferenceCosts/fs/en
49 Health Survey for England 2001. The Scottish Health
Survey 2003. Welsh Health Survey 2005/2006. Northern Ireland
Health and Wellbeing Survey 2005/2006. Population estimates from
Office for National Statistics, General Register Office for Scotland,
Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency Back
50
Asthma UK. National Asthma Panel, 2006. The National Asthma Panel
is a telephone-based survey, carried out on our behalf by Ipsos-MORI
and typically questions over 1,000 people who are a representative
sample of the UK population in terms of the balance of gender,
age, socio-economic background and location. Back
51
Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health; Scottish Morbidity
Record, Information Services Division, NHS Scotland; Health Services
Wales; Hospital Inpatients System, Department of Health, Social
Services & Public Safety Northern Ireland Back
52
Methodology: R. Gupta*, A. Sheikh, D. P. Strachan* and H. R. Anderson*
'Burden of allergic disease in the UK: secondary analyses of national
databases' Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34:520-526; Data: GP: Weekly
Returns Service Annual Prevalence Report 2001, RCGP Birmingham
Research Unit. http://www.rcgp.org.uk/bru Back
53
Methodology: R. Gupta*, A. Sheikh, D. P. Strachan* and H. R. Anderson*
'Burden of allergic disease in the UK: secondary analyses of
national databases' Clin Exp Allergy 2004; 34:520-526; Data: GP:
Weekly Returns Service Annual Prevalence Report 2001, RCGP Birmingham
Research Unit.http://www.rcgp.org.uk/bru Back
54
Calculated from estimated prevalence of treated asthma in National
Asthma Campaign 2001 Out in the Open: a true picture of asthma
in the United Kingdom today. Asthma J 6 (suppl), and unpublished
data from Hoskins G, McCowan C, Neville RG et al 2000 Risk
factors and costs associated with an asthma attack. Thorax 55:19-24 Back
55
1% sample of claims to incapacity benefit. Department for Work
& Pensions, Information & Analytics Department (April-2001 to
March 2002, 12,701,000 IB days claimed; June 2002 -
May 2003 12,639,000 IB days claimed) Back
56
Office of Health Economics. Compendium of Health Statistics, 15th
edition 2003-2004. Department for Work & Pensions, Information
& Analysis Department (April 2004) Back
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