Heartlands Hospital is to be a clinical centre for a £4.8 million national research programme launched to help transform the lives of those with severe asthma. Twenty percent of asthma sufferers currently have conditions which are difficult to treat.

Consultant in respiratory medicine at Heartlands Hospital, Dr Adel Mansur said: “This is a very exciting development which I’m confident will lead to patients responding much better to treatment and as a result improve their quality of life, and in some instances even save lives.”

The United Kingdom Refractory Asthma Stratification Programme (RASP-UK) is a partnership between the Medical Research Council, Asthma UK, leading clinicians and academics from across the UK and a group of pharmaceutical companies.

The severe and Brittle Asthma Unit (SBAU) at Heartlands Hospital is one of the leading centres for adults providing advice, assessment and treatment to patients suffering from difficult to control asthma. As a supra regional centre, the unit attracts referrals from across the UK. See: http://www.severeasthma-birmingham.co.uk/