 I remind members of the Covid-related measures that are in place and that face coverings should be worn when moving around the chamber and across the Holyrood campus. The final item of business is a member's business debate on motion 2730, in the name of Jackie Dunbar, on My Breath is My Life. This debate will be concluded without any questions being put. I would ask those members who wish to speak in the debate to please press the request to speak button us now or to enter R in the chat function, and I call on Jackie Dunbar to open the debate. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I'm very proud to bring this member's debate forward tonight. Can I first of all thank everyone for the cross-party support that has ensured that the debate can take place this evening? In Scotland, around 368,000 people are being treated for having asthma. That includes over 72,000 children. This is not the total amount of folk suffering from asthma, as a lot of folk have this condition but are not diagnosed, as it is not an easy diagnosis to make. I myself went to the doctors about 19 years ago and was diagnosed as having borderline asthma borderline COPD. At the time, they were unable to tell me which condition it was, and I was given three different inhalers, two to be taken once a day, one for asthma symptoms and one for COPD symptoms, and the blue inhaler that most people associate with asthma for as and when needed. I'm not alone in this kind of diagnosis. Many times it is trying to see what works for the individual. I'm not proud to say that I was a smoker and quit over two years ago, and I'm very pleased to report that my lung capacity increased and, due to that, my medication strength was decreased, not something that happens if you have COPD, so I take it that I'm just borderline asthmatic now. Respiratory conditions, including asthma, account for over a third of all acute hospital admissions and are also one of the most commonly presented conditions within primary care. I was pleased to see the respiratory care action plan launched by the Scottish Government last year, which focuses on ensuring across Scotland we have a consistent approach to the management of respiratory conditions in the five key priority areas, prevention, diagnosis, management, care and supporting self-management. In 2020, there were 113 asthma-related deaths in Scotland. 90 per cent of those could have been prevented. 90 per cent could have been prevented. In the north-east, the work of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation has been transformational in increasing awareness for people living with and caring for those with asthma, and my motion lays out all the fantastic work that has been achieved so far by them. Everyone here today will know someone with asthma, but would you know how to help support someone who was having an asthma attack? I didn't. In 2021, 49 people out of every 100,000 were hospitalised for asthma at least once that year. Scotland, like other UK countries, has a high prevalence of asthma compared with the rest of the world. An asthma attack is caused by the inflammation of the breathing tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs. Asthma makes those tubes highly sensitive so that they can temporarily narrow and it is a condition that affects the airways and can affect people of all ages. Although it often starts in childhood, it can also develop for the first time in adults. The main symptoms of asthma can be wheezing, breathlessness, a tight chest and coughing. However, that does change from person to person, and it is currently incurable, but symptoms can be maintained through medicines such as inhalers and steroids. The Breath Is My Life project was launched in 2018 and has worked across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to provide asthma awareness and education within schools. My Breath Is My Life project, supported by national lottery funding, delivered workshops to staff, students, parents and carers to raise awareness of the condition and help people to become confident and capable of managing the illness within a school setting and recognising not only the signs of an asthma attack but also knowing how to deal with it. I was delighted to recently meet the founders of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation and hear about their most recent national lottery funding, which will allow them to expand their workshops into the greater Glasgow and Clyde health board, again delivering workshops for children and young people, but also exploring the transition into adult services and how young people can manage their condition in a range of different environments. I was advised that, on average, there are two children with asthma in every classroom, and every school. That is a lot. That is why it is so important that teachers and staff in every classroom are comfortable and confident in managing asthma in schools and having the knowledge of what to do if someone is having an asthma attack. For example, before meeting with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation, I was unaware that it should never put someone who is having an attack into the recovery position. As it constricts their airways further and they may stop breathing, I learnt a valuable lesson from our long meeting and I am positive that the foundation's expansion work will help to inform and educate many more people throughout Scotland. As many of you know in the chamber, I donate my councillor's salary to charities and good causes within my constituency of Aberdeen, Donside, and I was delighted to be able to donate my December salary to the foundation to help pay for further training for their staff and volunteers. I will finish off my contribution to this debate by thanking everyone who has supported the motion and to thank the members in advance who are speaking today. Last but not least, I will try to be helpful by explaining what to do if you or someone near you is having an asthma attack. You should always advise the person to, one, sit up straight, try to keep calm and know that that is easier said than done. Two, take one puff of your inhaler, usually the blue one, every 30 to 60 seconds up to 10 puffs. Three, if you feel worse at any point or that you do not feel better after 10 puffs, call 999 for an ambulance immediately. I now call Audrey Nicol to be followed by Tess White. I would like to congratulate my colleague and old friend, Jackie Dunbar for bringing the motion forward as the night is meant in the most respectful way. I know that this is an initiative that she has been committed to as it has been developed locally in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. I refer members to my register of interests. I am a councillor in Aberdeen City Council. I thank the Asthma and Allergy Foundation for their helpful briefing ahead of this debate. I will shamefully admit that despite living in the north-east, I had not crossed paths with My Breath Is My Life initiative until Jackie Dunbar brought forward the motion. The notion of a learning resource that delivered training to children and young people on how to cope with an asthma attack seems so logical and, as Jackie Dunbar highlighted, the statistics speak for themselves. In Scotland, around 368,000 people live with asthma, around 72,000 of whom are children and, tragically, 2020 saw 113 asthma deaths. I cannot imagine the loss and sense of tragedy felt by families and friends affected by such a loss. Prevention plays a vital role in so many aspects of our lives, particularly our health and wellbeing, our daily multivitamin tablet, our free eye tests and, of course, getting jagged and boosted with the flu and Covid vaccines. We are so fortunate to be able to access a wide range of resources and educational opportunities to enhance our confidence and skills in responding to unforeseen events, who remember the recovery position from their first day training or the fact mnemonic in cases of suspected stroke. It stands to reason, therefore, given the potentially serious consequences an asthma attack can have, that education on how to respond for those living with asthma—their carers, families and teachers—could literally mean the difference between life and death. The commitment of Martina Chukwuma Ezekie in establishing the Asthma and Allogy Foundation and developing the My Breath Is My Life resource is inspiring, turning her traumatic personal experience into an opportunity to educate and empower those living with asthma. It was fantastic to learn that My Breath Is My Life workshop has been delivered to almost 15,000 pupils, just under six unto teachers, PSAs, parents and others, teaching learners to understand asthma, identify symptoms and triggers and, importantly, how to manage their condition—a truly fantastic achievement. Of course, My Breath Is My Life is not just about raising awareness. It is about supporting people to have a good life where they are in control of their asthma rather than their asthma controlling them. While currently a local initiative, My Breath Is My Life will be making its own very valid contribution to ensuring that children can stay in education, play sport, experience strong mental health and, further on in their lives, access skills development, education opportunities and positive outcomes. I note the motion calls for My Breath Is My Life to be made available nationally. Having spent many years in volunteering roles with children and young people, there is no doubt in my mind that a project such as this merits every consideration for wider roll-out across Scotland and I will do everything that I can to support that effort going forward. I am delighted to speak in this debate today and pay tribute to Jackie Dunbar for bringing our attention to the work of asthma of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Asthma is one of the most prevalent health conditions in Aberdeenshire. It is also the most common lung condition in children, affecting around one in 11 children across the UK. As the members have stated before, 72,000 of those children live in Scotland. However, while asthma is a widespread condition, its symptoms are not always seen or understood by others. Difficulties breathing, wheezing, coughing and tightness and pain in the chest are all commonly experienced by people with asthma. If these symptoms escalate, they can be very frightening. Fortunately, asthma can be managed effectively through the right treatment plan, but a diagnosis is nevertheless worrying for sufferers and their families. That's why the My Breath My Life project is so important. It has helped children with asthma to better manage the condition from understanding what triggers symptoms to how and when to use their inhalers. These may sound like small interventions, but the right inhaler technique is crucial for the medication to work effectively. The My Breath My Life project has also helped to empower children, parents and teachers through targeted education so that they can better support their peers who have asthma symptoms. Too few people are aware that an asthma attack can come on suddenly and can be life-threatening, yet someone in the UK has an asthma attack every 10 seconds. When a child is having an asthma attack, it's not just their breathing that's affected. Young children might report a stomach ache, they might be unusually quiet, they might look pale, they might not be able to complete sentences. Knowing how to respond in a situation like this can save lives. 90 per cent of deaths from asthma are preventable. Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought respiratory illnesses into sharp focus, and I'd like to thank organisations such as Asthma UK for providing information and support to people with asthma during the coronavirus outbreak. During the pandemic, the reality for some children and young people with asthma is that wearing a mask for a prolonged period of time such as at school may be difficult. Asthma sufferers can experience anxiety and panic attacks as a result of face coverings, as they can amplify the feeling that you cannot access air. Removing them in classrooms can impact positively on the mental health of children who may already be feeling anxious wearing them. As a threat posed by Covid-19 receives, I agree with Professor Devi Shridhar who argued last week that children should be at the centre of a return to normality and the first to have measures in schools such as maths ease. Finally, Deputy Presiding Officer, as GP surgeries start to resume work that was deferred during the pandemic, I would urge patients who are due an asthma annual review to accept the invitation even if they feel that the condition is under control. The respiratory condition can be worrying for people of any age, but the work of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation has demonstrated how beneficial patient-centred education can be, and for that I sincerely commend its staff and volunteers. Thank you, Ms White. I now call Rhoda Grant to be followed by Emma Harper, who will be the last speaker before I ask the minister to respond. Ms Greta. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and can I, too, congratulate Jackie Dunbar and secure in this really important debate? Asthma is a common complaint and so common, we often take very little heed of it, but it impacts just under 10 per cent of the population. And while most people live with the condition, it can be fatal, taking the life of three people in the UK every day. As Jackie Dunbar said, most of these deaths could have been prevented with better guidance and monitoring. Nervful good management is crucial and the motion shows how this can be done. In my breath, my life project helped young people, their parents and teachers, to understand the conditions, its causes and its management. I grew up aware of Asthma because my grandmother had it, and I remember her having terrible attacks and being taken outside the house in the hope of helping her to get her breath. It was frightening to watch as a young person, but it must have been terrifying for her. Therefore, even by simply raising awareness, the project has been very worthwhile. The pandemic has been very challenging for those with Asthma, not only the fear of catching Covid-19 but having lives disrupted much more than the general population as they had to shield, and it also impacted on their families, who also had to take measures to protect them. Children, particularly those who have been told by their parents, have been told by those in authority for two years, so that is a huge portion of their life. It is risky for them to be out and mixing with others. It is much more likely to have their mental health impacted, and it will also be a lot more difficult for them to mix again with others with any confidence. People's careers will have been affected because they were required to shield. Not every job can be done remotely, meaning that some people have lost their jobs or even given them up due to the need to shield. We need to target support towards them to bring them back into the workforce safely. There is also the argument about masks and how it makes someone with breathing difficulties fail, and to line that up against the benefits of wearing masks for the most vulnerable to Covid-19. It is a very difficult decision to take. The project also looks at triggers for asthma attacks. It is something that I think we would all benefit from understanding. Many can be triggered by atmospheric conditions and pollution, and we must cut pollution and emissions for the good of the planet to stop climate change, but we also need to do that to help people with issues with breathing such as asthma and COPD. The project should show the way on how we can build greater understanding in Scotland. Raising awareness of asthma allows us all to play our part in preventing it and supporting those who live with the condition every day. I'm still a registered nurse. I welcome the opportunity to speak in this important debate. I thank my colleague Jackie Dunbar for securing it. Ms Dunbar has covered asthma and associated treatment extremely well. I've learned a lot here myself. It's important that we raise awareness of activities in our constituencies and regions by people and charities that focus on health issues. That work, which can ultimately save lives, is really important. I thank my colleague Jackie Dunbar for highlighting the important work of asthma and allergy foundation and the My Breath Is My Life project. The project has achieved outstanding success since its inception in delivering workshops to more than 14,000 pupils and training over 700 teachers and support assistants on asthma. My Breath Is My Life has excellently demonstrated that when education is provided to persons with asthma, their parents or carers, as well as teachers in classroom assistance and the wider public, better knowledge and understanding is achieved. The workshops carried out by the project included what asthma is, how to identify symptoms and triggers, education and learning, how to manage the condition and how to manage breathing emergencies. When I watched the My Breath Is My Life video on the asthmaandallogy.org website, the clinical specialist Professor Stephen Turner said that education was extremely important and that education needed to be person-centred. Professor Turner said that the simple message that needed to be provided, such as the blue inhaler that you have been given, is only to be taken when you have asthma symptoms. The brown inhaler is to be taken all the time. To add, the blue inhaler contains the rescue medication, take it when asthma symptoms like wheeze or shortness of breath occur. It provides an immediate effect, an immediate relief and the brown inhaler contains the prevention medication. You take that inhaler every day as prescribed, which can mean more than once a day. I agree with simple messaging, and that is key. Many people do not realise that people can die from an asthma attack. I cannot imagine the grief that is suffered by those who have lost loved ones to asthma. The British Lung Foundation has created a number of lung health champions in the Scottish Parliament. MSPs from across the chamber have taken on the role as a lung health champion to help to raise awareness of many of the lung health conditions. I am the asthma champion. I have learned a lot from many people, including asthma UK, BLF and Dr Tom Fardden. Dr Tom Fardden is a respiratory and asthma consultant in NHS Tayside, and he is the lead in developing the Scottish Government's respiratory care action plan. I have had good advice and support from Damien Cromby, who, until recently, was the Government's public affairs manager for AstraZeneca. He was the AstraZeneca public affairs manager for Parliament, I should say. He has sponsored an asthma round table that I chaired prior to the pandemic. That has had particular focus on the importance of inhaler education and on the variant types of inhalers that can be used, and how we can best support people, especially to engage them with their specialists and the care and review that they need. I also acknowledge the help from respiratory nurse consultant, Dr Phyllis Murphy. Many of you will have heard me talk about her in the past, because Phyllis is my big sister. Since the inception of the lung health cross-party group, along with the great work that has been carried out by many of the people and organisations that I mentioned, great progress has been made in Scotland to improve treatment and outcomes for people with asthma. The Scottish Government is implementing the respiratory care action plan, an overarching strategy for health and social care services on respiratory conditions. The plan identifies key priorities and commitments to improve outcomes for people living with respiratory conditions in Scotland, including asthma. It will enable all health and social care to have a firm understanding of respiratory health and improve clinical and wellbeing outcomes for people in Scotland. I again want to welcome the work of my life, my breath project and the work that has been undertaken by the Scottish Government to improve asthma education. I again thank Jackie Dunbar for bringing the debate to the chamber today. I thank Jackie Dunbar for lodging the important motion and welcome the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Government this afternoon. Asthma is a very common long-term lung condition affecting all ages. It is estimated that 368,000 people are affected by the condition in Scotland. That is 296,000 adults and 72,000 children, 7 per cent of adults and 8 per cent of children. Asthma symptoms can come and go, and some people might not have symptoms for weeks or months at a time, but asthma does usually need to be treated every day, even if the person is well, to lower the risk of symptoms in asthma attacks. We recognise the difficulties experienced by those living with a respiratory condition like asthma, and that is why we remain committed to ensuring that people living with asthma and other respiratory conditions receive the best possible care and treatment to enable them to live longer, healthier and independent lives. We will do that through our priorities and our commitments set out in our first respiratory care action plan for Scotland, published in March 2021. My thanks go to all who offered invaluable contributions to the development of the plan. The plan sets out the key priority areas for driving improvement in the prevention, diagnosis, care, treatment and support for people living with a range of respiratory conditions such as asthma. A key part of the plan is ensuring early and accurate diagnosis of asthma. When people are given information about their condition early, they have more opportunity to explore self-management techniques and possibly avoid more intensive treatments. I want to thank the Asthma and Allergy Foundation for their work on the My Breath Is My Life project, which included the delivery of asthma training and awareness workshop to children, to parents and to teachers right across Aberdeenshire to help people to understand asthma, to identify symptoms and triggers and to learn how to manage the condition. The Scottish Government is committed to providing the best quality tools and support for people living with all respiratory conditions in Scotland. We will work in partnership with key stakeholders, including the third sector, to ensure that people with respiratory conditions have access to tools, resources and information that support them to manage their own condition. We will also ensure that people with lived experience of respiratory conditions are closely involved as we make progress against the commitments that are set out in the respiratory care action plan. As clinical guidelines evolve, we will also work with key partners, including NHS education, NES, to ensure that relevant training is made consistently available to a wider group of health care professionals, increasing understanding of asthma for all those involved. Education is so incredibly important for the condition. It is really important to recognise the impact of Covid-19, as a number of people around the chamber have on the delivery of care and treatment for people with asthma. It continues to be significant in terms of access to respiratory services and the longer-term impact of the pandemic on lung health could be generational. Respiratory services have continued throughout the pandemic with hospital and community respiratory teams playing a key role in the Covid-19 response. Third sector organisations have also continued to provide invaluable support and information through this difficult time to our NHS through to those living with respiratory conditions. For example, the Asthma Analogies Foundation, my breath is my life project, has helped to support people to manage their asthma during this difficult time. The Scottish respiratory advisory groups have been established to support and oversee the implementation of the respiratory care action plan. Members include clinical experts from a range of respiratory conditions, including asthma, as well as the key stakeholders from across health and social care in the third sector. We are working to develop an implementation programme, and our one-year priorities include the transition from child to adult respiratory services. We will work with key partners to understand and improve pathways for a successful transition. Alongside the Scottish respiratory advisory group, we are working with the Alliance and have established a lived experience group to ensure that people living with a respiratory condition are involved in the design, the development and the roll-out of service improvement projects. I want once again to thank Jackie Dunbar for lodging the motion for this important debate, and to thank the Asthma Analogies Foundation for the work that they do in supporting people living with conditions such as asthma. Thank you. Thank you Minister. That concludes the debate, and I close this meeting.