About the Project

Asthma effects around 40,000 people in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Although asthma treatments have improved over time, many people still experience frequent symptoms and suffer asthma attacks each year. The Sentinel Project aims to improve the outcomes for people living with asthma in the region.

Asthmatics are usually treated with ‘preventer’ inhalers to treat airway inflammation and ‘reliever’ inhalers to temporarily relieve symptoms by relaxing airway muscle. Effectively treating airway inflammation is essential to achieve asthma control. Frequent ‘reliever’ inhaler use is a sign of uncontrolled asthma and increased risk of asthma attacks and should prompt review by a health care professional to optimise the ‘preventer’ treatments. However, we know that many people in Hull and East Yorkshire over-rely on their ‘reliever’ treatments and therefore have uncontrolled symptoms and are at risk of future asthma attacks.

The Sentinel Project is being undertaken in partnership with Hull Clinical Commissioning Group, Hull York Medical School and local health care providers. The project aims to raise awareness about the dangers of over-reliance on ‘reliever’ medications in asthma and promote evidence based asthma care by promoting adoption of the Hull and East Riding Guideline for the Treatment of Adult Asthma.