A scheme developed by the Island’s NHS to help thousands of Island asthma patients has been shortlisted for a national award.
The Health Service Journal has recognised the work undertaken on the Island to improve the clinical outcome for people with long term respiratory conditions through their prestigious 2009 Awards. The awards are a celebration of the excellence, endeavour, innovation and inspiration that is found throughout the healthcare profession.
The Isle of Wight has a high prevalence of long term respiratory conditions and the cost to the Island’s NHS to treat these conditions was significantly higher than other areas across the country. Through increasing knowledge of how drugs and inhalers work, examining inhaler technique, educating Healthcare Professionals on how to demonstrate and evaluate good technique and with the provision of a training device called 2Tone, the scheme has produced outstanding results and is already being shared with neighbouring Primary Care Trusts.
Used correctly, a ‘puffer’ will deliver a full dose into the patient’s lungs. When used wrongly it only delivers between none and half of the dose needed, and puts users at higher risk of side effects such as hoarseness, sore throats, headaches and palpitations.
Paul Jerram, Head of Medicines Management and the lead for this development said: “Within 12 months of initiation of the scheme we were seeing significant decreases in the use of both reliever and preventer inhalers being prescribed."