AQW 9031/22-27

Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 15/03/2024
Answered On Date: 04/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether he plans to provide resources to roll-out fractional exhaled nitric oxide testing across General Practice.

Answer:

Fractional exhaled Nitric Oxide is included as a diagnostic test for asthma in NICE guideline NG80 'Asthma: diagnosis, monitoring and chronic asthma management'.

Funding has been made available to pilot the use of FeNO across Lisburn GP Practices.

The aim of this pilot is to scope how FeNO testing can be used to increase diagnostic certainty for patients suspected of having asthma alongside other objective tests. In addition, the pilot will evaluate the usefulness of FeNO testing to help guide clinical decisions around non-adherence or underuse of inhaled corticosteroids when managing the condition.