Access to Salbutamol Inhalers

Margaret Ferrier Excerpts

Monday 29th November 2021 Westminster Hall

[Margaret Ferrier (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Ind)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mr Hosie, and to follow the hon. Member for Don Valley (Nick Fletcher)—we keep meeting each other in Westminster Hall.

Today’s debate is of huge importance, and I am grateful to the almost 2,000 of my constituents who took the time to sign e-petition 578676. My constituency had the second highest number of signatories in the UK, clearly showing how strongly the community in and around Glasgow feel about the petition’s aims.

The events that prompted this petition are devastating. We have heard how Lauren Reid, who was just 19 years old, suffered a severe asthma attack at work. Tragically, she did not have her inhaler with her at the time and she passed away later that week in hospital after becoming starved of oxygen during the attack. Nineteen is no age to pass, and I cannot imagine how difficult it has been for Lauren’s family and friends in the time since. It is horrible to think of this as preventable, but I do hope that today’s debate can serve as a step forward to ensuring that these events are not repeated in the future. The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) has a debate next week on asthma outcomes, which I hope will further contribute to recognition of the seriousness of this illness and what can be done to protect sufferers.

Before moving on to more general points, I would like to commend Lauren’s mum, Elaine, who has pursued Lauren’s law tirelessly throughout what will undoubtedly have been an exceptionally painful and difficult year. Her loss is unimaginable and her commitment is admirable. She has my full support in her campaign for salbutamol inhaler provision in commercial kitchens.

Asthma is a common chronic condition. It is more common in Scotland and the UK than in most other places in the world. More than 8 million people, or 12% of the population, have been diagnosed with asthma. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, it accounts for 2% to 3% of all primary care consultations, 60,000 hospital admissions and 200,000 bed days per year. Interestingly, although it is more common in boys in childhood, it is actually most prevalent in adult women, such as Lauren. As we have heard, one in 14 people in Scotland is currently being treated for asthma. It is also estimated that occupational asthma accounts for 9% to 10% of adult onset asthma.

It is widely accepted that commercial kitchens can both aggravate existing asthma and trigger it in people who have previously never had any symptoms. That is because commercial kitchens have a number of irritants. The use of powder substances such as flour, which is in daily use in most kitchens, is one of the biggest triggers. Current advice for people who develop occupational asthma is to consider a change in role or career. That might seem like reasonable advice: why would someone continue to put themselves at risk once they know the triggers? Realistically, however, it is not—not when there are other options that could help people manage the problem and stay in the job they love. When reading about Lauren, her passion for her work shines through. Nobody should have to choose between their passion and their health; the two do not have to be mutually exclusive.

I said earlier that asthma is a common condition, and kitchens are not the only workplaces where occupational asthma is prevalent. It is also triggered by allergens that affect hairdressers, agricultural workers, mechanics and healthcare workers. If something can be done to mitigate the impact of occupational asthma or to ensure better outcomes when someone suffers an attack, it should be. Making sure that salbutamol inhalers are available in high-risk environments is an easy thing to do. We already know that it can be done, because we allow non-prescription inhalers to be kept in schools.

In conclusion, I am sure the Minister and her Government colleagues support these measures but they have to abide by the human medicines regulations. I urge her to commit to a review and ask the relevant bodies to explore whether inhalers can be provided to commercial kitchens.