title: Are we failing workers with symptoms suggestive of occupational asthma?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the route to secondary care for patients with possible occupational asthma, and to document the duration of workrelated symptoms and referral times.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with suspected occupational asthma were recruited to a case series from six secondary care clinics with an interest in occupational asthma. Semi-structured interviews were performed and hospital case notes were reviewed to summarise relevant investigations and diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  97 patients were recruited, with a mean age of 44.2 years (range 24-64), 51 of whom (53%) had occupational asthma confirmed as a diagnosis. Most (96%) had consulted their general practitioner (GP) at least once with work-related respiratory symptoms, although these had been present for a mean of 44.6 months (range 0-320 months) on presentation to secondary care. Patients experienced a mean delay for assessment in secondary care of 4 years (range 1-27 years) following presentation in primary care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant diagnostic delay currently occurs for patients with occupational asthma in the UK.
authors.affiliation: Medical Unit, Health and Safety Laboratory, Harpur Hill, Buxton, UK. d.fishwick@sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fishwick
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Jo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Henson
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stenton
authors.forename: Sherwood
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burge
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Niven
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Warburton
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hendrick
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rawbone
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors