A collaborative Insight Report has been published following a series of community focus groups delivered in Oldham, which examines positive and negative experiences and common areas for improvement in asthma treatment and management, alongside the risks of smoking.

The Report published by Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, in collaboration with Health Innovation Manchester, provides a summary of insights gathered through engagement with and the participation of communities in Oldham. This explores and analyses their knowledge of children and young person’s asthma management along with the effects of triggers, with a particular focus on smoking.

The insights and data that is presented in the report comes from eight focus groups sessions delivered by ABL Health, in partnership with Health Innovation Manchester across various venues in Oldham, and with several community groups, including Age UK, Women’s Chai Project, and Oldham Athletic Community Trust.

The children, young people (CYP) and adults who joined sessions were shown several resources that provided information on asthma treatment, management and explained how environmental triggers can impact on an asthma sufferer’s health. Discussions focussed on what these community groups knew about asthma and smoking, and who suffered from asthma themselves, or lived with someone who has asthma.

To capture insights and themes raised during discussions by children, young people and adults, an illustrator compiled a series of drawings that portray the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of each focus group.

The learnings from this work provided opportunities for true public and community co-developed materials, including educational assets and resources, and video case studies that will be published later in 2024. These assets will provide further support and guidance for children, young people, and families, supplementing the insights that are included in this collaborative report.

The Innovation In Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP)

This work is part of the wider Innovation for Healthcare Inequalities Programme (InHIP) pilot at The Royal Oldham Hospital (ROH) that has been underway since February 2023. The aim of this is to transform services for children and young people living with asthma and related conditions, as well as reducing avoidable harms caused by smoking or second-hand smoke inside the home.

To date, Health Innovation Manchester has worked collaboratively with key stakeholders across NHS Greater Manchester (NHS GM), including The Royal Oldham Hospital, ABL Health and Your Health Oldham and the Make Smoking History Team to identify key focus points within the local health and care system, proposing that one of the greatest healthcare inequality challenges in Greater Manchester is paediatric asthma and effects of second-hand smoke on asthma.

Jane Coyne, Treating Tobacco Dependency Programme Lead at Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, said: “In this report we analyse the need for action in transforming services for children, young people and families who are either living with asthma and related conditions, or who are from a smoking household. The report sheds light on how we aim to tackle this area of health inequality, and how we have engaged with various groups within the Oldham community, ultimately to get to the heart of the issues that they are facing on a daily basis.

“We would like to thank all involved for their valued contributions, and to thank the community members who played an integral part in sharing their insight and lived experience to be involved with this project. Their willingness and honesty have been invaluable for us to understand what is important to them and will allow worthwhile educational resources to be co-developed and co-designed as a product of this collaborative work with our partners.”

Cath Barrow, Senior Programme Development Lead at Health Innovation Manchester, said: “The importance of engaging with communities, patients and the public is crucial for projects like this because so much knowledge is gained about what is important to those affected, how they can improve their knowledge to self-manage and support family members who have asthma and to co-produce assets that they feel would be beneficial to support their health. These focus groups have been critical to gain insight from children and families with lived experience, so their asthma health challenges are understood. Their shared stories and experience will enable greater development and delivery of appropriate and accessible interventions.”

Raz Mohammed, Divisional Operations Lead & Head of Communities at ABL Health, said: “The insights we’ve garnered underscore the critical need to address paediatric asthma, particularly in smoking-affected households, laying a firm foundation for the next phases of our project.

“The collaboration between ABL Health, Health Innovation Manchester, and our distinguished partners has proven to be the driving force behind our success. Our continued support for the project underscores our unwavering commitment to tackling healthcare disparities. Such partnerships demonstrate the transformative potential of united efforts in community healthcare.

“The importance of these focus groups cannot be overstated; they serve as bridges, connecting healthcare providers to the communities and ensuring our strategies resonate with their genuine needs and challenges. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the community groups and their members who lent their voices to this initiative. As we reflect on our journey with this project, it stands as a beacon of what’s achievable when we come together to combat healthcare disparities. We remain hopeful and determined in our mission to create positive changes for those living with asthma in Oldham and beyond.”