Evaluation of the Children and Young People Asthma Knowledge Mobilisation Project in Mid and South Essex Alliances

Why is the research needed?

Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions affecting children and young people and remains a significant cause of poor health, emergency healthcare visits, and preventable harm. Across NHS Essex ICB, rates of asthma-related emergency department attendance remain high, and prescribing patterns indicate ongoing reliance on short-acting reliever inhalers, which are associated with poorer asthma control and increased risk of severe exacerbations. National guidance now recommends a shift towards anti-inflammatory treatments that can reduce this risk, yet implementation of these recommendations remains inconsistent across primary care.

What are we doing?

This evaluation will help us understand whether a structured implementation programme can bridge the gap between evidence and routine clinical practice. We will evaluate the Asthma Champions programme, which supports GP practices across Essex to implement the latest NICE asthma guidance and improve care for children and young people aged 0 to 18 years.

The evaluation will assess whether the programme improves prescribing behaviour, supports the identification of children and young people at higher risk of poor asthma outcomes, and promotes more consistent, evidence-based care. Using a mixed-methods approach, we will combine routine prescribing data with surveys, activity logs, and interviews with Asthma Champions and clinicians. This will enable us to measure changes in prescribing practice while also exploring how the programme was delivered, what worked well, and the factors that influenced successful implementation.

The findings will provide valuable evidence for clinicians, commissioners, and policy-makers about effective approaches to implementing asthma guidance at scale. Ultimately, the evaluation has the potential to inform future NHS service development, reduce health inequalities, prevent avoidable hospital attendances, and improve long-term outcomes for children and young people living with asthma.

How are we working with communities, services and organisations?

We are delivering this evaluation through a partnership between NHS Essex ICB, Health Innovation East, Primary Care Networks and GP practices across Essex. 

We are working with Four Asthma Champions who are working directly with practices across the four Essex alliances to support the implementation of national asthma guidance, share best practice, review prescribing data and identify opportunities to improve care for children and young people with asthma.

What will the impact and benefits of this research be?

We will provide evidence on whether Asthma Champions can help GP practices implement national asthma guidance and improve the quality and consistency of care for children and young people with asthma. Through this work, we will identify which approaches are most effective in supporting evidence-based asthma management, improving prescribing practices, and helping clinicians identify children at increased risk of poor outcomes.

What do we have planned for knowledge mobilisation and implementation?

We will share findings from the evaluation with commissioners, clinicians and service leaders to inform future service development and commissioning decisions. We will provide a final report which will provide recommendations on effective approaches to implementing asthma guidance and improving outcomes for children and young people. Health Innovation East will also support dissemination through its website and communication channels, helping to maximise the reach of the learning and support wider adoption across the NHS.