The intervention in the study will be a disease-specific asthma self-management education programme delivery either by a professional (ie practice nurse) or a lay educator. Both lay and professional trainers will receive specific training in the content and delivery of this intervention. The intervention will consist of an initial 45 minute training session (including receipt of a written personal asthma action plan); a second face to face reinforcing session 3 weeks after the first session; 3 monthly telephone follow-up appointments to reinforce messages and to give ongoing advice with availability of the nurse or lay educator as a source of advice at all other times. Data will be collected on unscheduled use of health care, peak flow readings, patients' self-reporting of "adverse events", RCP three questions, perceptions of the interviews using MISS-21, QOL questionnaire and AQLQ. Demographics for all patients will also be recorded.