Patient organisation round-up, May 2014

As ever, patient organisations across Europe have been organising and participating in a range of activities to raise awareness of the importance of lung health.

Romanian organisation donates toys to children in hospital with TB

ARB-TB, a patient organisation for people with tuberculosis (TB) in Romania, followed up their highly successful toy donation initiative with more events in April in Pitesti and Bucharest.

The campaign, “Room full of smiles: A simple toy for a great joy”, saw large numbers of toys, books and clothes collected for children in hospitals, and rehabilitation centres.

Many school-age children were happy to support and donate to children struggling with TB. ARB-TB hopes to further expand the campaign across Romania.

See the media coverage of the event in Pitesti.

New UK Review of Asthma Deaths analysed by Asthma UK

The National Review of Asthma Deaths is the first UK-wide investigation into asthma deaths.

The review, published on 6 May 2014, looked at deaths from asthma between 1 February 2012 and 31 January 2013. It found wide-ranging and widespread issues with the quality of asthma care amongst those who died.

In particular, people did not receive key elements of routine care, prescribing errors were widespread, their asthma attacks were poorly managed and people with severe asthma were not always referred to a specialist when they should have been.

Asthma UK has worked hard over the last few years to ensure that the UK conducted a comprehensive national review. They wanted to learn why asthma still kills people, and to ensure that the lessons identified would be acted upon swiftly and decisively.

Read Asthma UK’s analysis document. 

French patient organisation promotes pulmonary rehabilitation

On 21 May 2014, ADIR 31, the association for people with lung conditions in the Haute-Garonne region of France, will hold an information event on pulmonary rehabilitation or ‘re-entrainment’.

The event will raise awareness of the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation for people with lung conditions, and promote the rehabilitation programme available at the Larrey hospital.

It will begin with a presentation on the role of exercise training: what is its everyday purpose for the patient?

For more information, email ADIR 31. 

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