SWINDON is bucking a trend of inadequate care for asthma sufferers, a specialist healthcare worker insisted today.

Julie Lennon spoke out as the National Asthma Campaign charity claimed four million people with asthma were struggling needlessly with symptoms because of failings in NHS care.

The charity's research revealed that 74 per cent of the 5.1 million people with the condition in the UK faced real restrictions on their quality of life. The organisation says that with proper health care management they could be living virtually symptom-free.

But Mrs Lennon, a specialist nurse who manages asthma and respiratory care for Swindon Primary Care Group, said: "Dealing with respiratory illnesses is high on the agenda in Swindon and I would say we are leading the way. We have many nurses who are trained to a high level in the care of asthma patients. Many of them attend a specialist asthma training centre in Warwick."

Mrs Lennon explained that the Swindon Asthma Group, a focus group consisting of medical professionals, held regular meetings to examine asthma care for people in the town.

She added: "We take a proactive approach towards caring for asthma sufferers. While there is always room for improvement, we need to recognise that people in Swindon get a very good level of asthma care.

"Most practices have an identified nurse with responsibility for patients with asthma or a GP with an interest in the area. All asthma patients are given an individual asthma plan and their condition is assessed at least once a year. With children it is two or three times a year.

"One of the problems with asthma patients is that they can often feel well and then fail to use their medicine. The issue of compliance is something we are doing a lot of work on."

The National Asthma Campaign has set out a list of 10 things people with asthma should expect from their local healthcare system. These include a personal plan, an annual review for adults, a six-monthly review for children, high-quality treatment and information, training on how to use medicines and access to a GP or nurse with specific asthma training.

Mrs Lennon said: "I am pleased that in Swindon we do meet these criteria. The campaign is a useful way of highlighting the need for sufferers to have access to good quality care.''

National Asthma Campaign chief executive Donna Covey said: "This is a charter for change. It describes the quality of care that millions of people should receive from the NHS and aims to ensure that everyone who works in the NHS and Government gives asthma the priority it deserves.

For advice, information, medication or other asthma treatments, call the Asthma Helpline on (0845) 7010203.