Campaigners are set to urge England’s new health bosses today to eradicate the massive differences in asthma care around the country.
The problem is highlighted by the numbers of children with asthma who need emergency admission to hospital.
These vary by 19 times across England, according to Asthma UK, which launched its campaign on World Asthma Day.
The worst affected areas are Newham in London and Leicester, Birmingham and Blackburn.
The charity says the NHS now has a quality standard for asthma care, launched this year by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
It now wants clinical commissioning groups to sign a pledge to implement the standard. It says that all patients should have an asthma action plan – but currently just one in eight patients have these plans.
Its campaigners will gather evidence from patients about the care they receive and whether it meets the standards.
Dr Samantha Walker, of Asthma UK, said: "The Compare Your Care campaign will help us show why it’s so vital these are implemented, and will also engage people with asthma in their own care.
"This could help reduce the burden on the NHS and make it easier for GPs and asthma nurses to promote good self-management to their patients."
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