Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Asthma UK’s report, Asthma Care in a Crisis, Annual Asthma Survey 2020, what plans he has to improve the percentage of people with asthma who are receiving all elements of basic asthma care.

The content of the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) asthma review, which ensures all general practitioner practices establish and maintain a register of patients with an asthma diagnosis, has been amended to incorporate the key elements of basic asthma care positively associated with better patient outcomes and self-management, including:

- An assessment of asthma control;

- A recording of the number of exacerbations;

- An assessment of inhaler technique; and

- A written personalised asthma action plan.

The QOF for 2021/22 has been implemented from April 2021 with these updated indicators for asthma.