GPs urged to step up asthma care as experts warn of system failure
06 May 2026
A new report, A Bold Blueprint for Asthma Reform, says asthma management in Australia has barely changed in decades, despite major medical advances and clear clinical guidelines.
The report highlights that around 2.8 million Australians live with asthma, yet the health system is “failing” many of them. In 2023, 480 people died from asthma, and in 2023–24 there were about 32,000 hospital admissions, most of which could likely have been prevented with better care in the community.
Dr Kerry Hancock, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Respiratory Medicine and one of the report’s authors, says complacency has built up in both doctors and patients.
She says asthma deaths have dropped compared to the 1980s, but progress has now stalled. Many patients are not getting regular, full reviews, and only one in four has a written asthma action plan.
The report warns that patients often “just manage” their symptoms instead of seeking proper ongoing care, while GPs may not always review asthma as thoroughly as guidelines recommend.
It also points out major gaps in care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who face much higher hospital and death rates from asthma.
The blueprint calls for urgent reforms, including better use of treatments, improved research, and stronger primary care systems.
For GPs, it recommends more structured asthma consultations, including full reviews and better use of the wider practice team such as nurses and pharmacists.
Dr Hancock says practices could introduce nurse-led asthma clinics, with GP oversight, to improve care for patients.
She also warns that if general practice does not lead improvements, other health professionals may take over asthma care roles, especially as pilot programs expand in some states.
The report stresses that with the right changes, many people could achieve well-controlled asthma or even remission, but only if the health system acts now.
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