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.

Through this evaluation, we will understand whether a structured implementation programme can help bridge the gap between evidence and routine practice. We will evaluate the work of four Asthma Champions who are supporting GP practices across Essex to adopt national asthma guidance and improve care for children and young people aged 0–18 years. The evaluation will examine whether the programme improves prescribing behaviour, supports identification of higher-risk children, and promotes more consistent, evidence-based care. Findings will provide valuable evidence for clinicians, commissioners and policy-makers on how best to implement asthma guidance at scale, with the potential to reduce health inequalities, prevent avoidable hospital attendances, improve long-term outcomes for children and young people with asthma, and inform future NHS service development.

What are we doing?

Aim: We will evaluate whether the Asthma Champions programme improves asthma care for children and young people by supporting GP practices to implement the latest NICE asthma guidance and improve prescribing practices.

Methods: We will use a mixed-methods approach, combining available routine prescribing data with surveys, activity logs and interviews with Asthma Champions and clinicians. This will assess changes in prescribing behaviour and explore how the programme was delivered, what worked well, and what factors influenced implementation.

How are we working with communities, services and organisations?

We are delivering this evaluation through a partnership between NHS Essex ICB, Health Innovation East, the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East of England (ARC EoE), 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, service leaders, and the NIHR ARC (EOE) 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.