Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to ensure that everyone diagnosed with asthma has a written asthma action plan by 2015.

The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2015-16 says that everyone with a long term condition should be offered a personalised care plan.

In February 2013, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its asthma quality standard, which covers the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in adults, young people and children aged 12 months and older. The quality standard sets out that people with asthma should receive a written personalised action plan.

NHS England is statutorily required to have regard to NICE quality standards and it is responsible for taking forward the implementation of the quality standard on asthma.

Asthma services are being considered by NHS England and The Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership as one of a number of potential new areas for audit. However, no final decision has been taken as to whether a new National Clinical Audit for Asthma will be commissioned.