Asthma UK is calling on NHS services throughout the UK to form a plan to ensure patients most at risk of having a fatal asthma attack have face-to-face appointments.
The charity is making the call following the release of figures which show more than a million people in the UK with asthma who are at the highest risk of having a potentially fatal asthma attack have not had a face-to-face annual review with their GP or asthma nurse during the pandemic.
Asthma UK’s figures also show 28% had not had their annual asthma review where medication is assessed, 21% have not had their inhaler technique checked and 47% have not had a written asthma action plan.
The figures also show that 77% of those with asthma who had an annual review would prefer to have it done face-to-face and this was even higher for those with uncontrolled asthma 80%.
The charity warns while remote care via phone or video may be appropriate for some sufferers, there are cases when it is clinically necessary to be seen face-to-face.
Consequently, the charity is calling for GPs to urgently prioritise asthma reviews for people with uncontrolled symptoms, who are most at risk of having an asthma attack and conduct them face-to-face.
And it urged the NHS in all nations to put a plan in place to ensure basic asthma care was made available to everyone and that patients at highest risk are seen face-to- face.
This plan should include clear instructions to healthcare professionals on how to prioritise people to see in person, implement guidance on delivering lung function tests safely and provide reassurance for people with asthma that they can visit a GP surgery safely.
However, the charity does point out it is also vital for people with asthma to take up face-to-face or remote appointments when offered so they have the best chance of managing their asthma well and avoiding an asthma attack.