Glasgow, February 24, 2025
- Air Free, a free app launches to help children and young people (ages 5–17) and their families track asthma control
- The app will keep patients personalised action plan handy, and provide access to trusted education, supporting better day-to-day management between clinical reviews
- The launch forms part of a wider healthcare innovation programme focused on predicting and preventing asthma attacks, which often build over weeks of poor control before a crisis occurs
- The app comes from Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) funded by the Chief Scientist Office from the Scottish Government.
Asthma affects around 1 in 11 people in the UK and costs the NHS over £1 billion annually, with outcomes for young people still lagging comparable European countries, highlighting the need for more proactive, data-driven support.
What Air Free offers (general release)
● A digital asthma action plan stored on the phone, so families can quickly check green/amber/red steps.
● Simple symptom and control checks (including ACT) with clear visuals.
● Education links from trusted UK sources to build confidence and self-management.
● Night-time cough monitoring (powered by Hyfe) and step count
● Privacy-first design with user-controlled notifications and avatars for children.
Study component (invitation-only)
As part of an NHS Lothian innovation study that is going to take place after the app launch, an invitation-only version of Air [CH1] Free will enable optional night-time cough monitoring (powered by Hyfe), step count, daily symptom questions, and asynchronous messaging with the clinical team. Only timestamps of detected coughs are shared, no audio is stored, supporting privacy while providing a sensitive signal of deteriorating control.
The study, co-sponsored by NHS Lothian and ACCORD with Dr Kenneth Macleod as Chief Investigator, will evaluate a risk-stratification pathway that flags higher-risk patients to clinicians for timely interventions.
Andrew Conkie, CEO, Red Star, said:
“Families tell us the worst part of asthma is the sudden spiral from ‘fine’ to ‘frightening’. Air Free keeps the plan, the checks, and the learning in one place, so kids, parents and schools can act earlier and feel more in control.”
Dr Kenneth Macleod, Children’s Asthma Physician (Chief Investigator), said:
“Asthma attacks rarely come out of nowhere. By combining routine health data with signals like night-time cough and activity, we aim to identify higher risk sooner and target help to the right child at the right time.”
Availability
● Air Free (general app): Free to download in Scotland on iOS and Android.
● Study participation: Families in the participating NHS Lothian GP cluster may receive invitations once final approvals are in place. (General app users are not part of the study unless invited and consented.)
Notes to editors
● Two strands of activity: the general app (public, non-medical) and a separate ethics-approved study using an enhanced app plus a clinician dashboard. Messaging for the general app should not imply NHS endorsement; funding by Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office acknowledgement is appropriate.
● Study governance: Co-sponsors NHS Lothian and ACCORD; Outcomes include steroid use, admissions, symptom trends, app utilisation and the contribution of remote monitoring to risk-stratification.
● Risk model features: Symptoms, medication adherence, night-time cough, activity, comorbidities and deprivation index inform a continuous, population-level early-warning approach.
● Privacy: Night-time cough monitoring processes short audio on-device; only cough timestamps are transmitted—no audio is stored or shared.
● Clinical responsibility: The dashboard stratifies risk but does not give management advice; clinical decisions remain with the responsible clinician.
● Context: Asthma affects ~1 in 11 UK residents; NHS burden >£1B/year; UK adolescent outcomes lag comparable EU countries.
● Medical device status: The general app is not a medical device and does not replace advice from a healthcare professional.
About Red Star
Red Star is a Scotland-based digital health company working with the NHS to develop innovative solutions that improve health outcomes, reduce pressure on services, and empower people to manage their own health.
About NHS Lothian
NHS Lothian is the regional health board for Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian, delivering acute, primary, community and mental health services across the area. It works with local authorities, universities and third-sector partners to improve population health and reduce inequalities.
About ACCORD (Academic and Clinical Central Office for Research & Development)
ACCORD is the joint research office of NHS Lothian and the University of Edinburgh. It provides sponsorship, governance and specialist support for clinical research within NHS Lothian, ensuring studies are conducted to high ethical and regulatory standards.
About the Chief Scientist Office (CSO)
The Chief Scientist Office is part of the Scottish Government’s Health and Social Care directorates. CSO funds and supports health and social care research across Scotland, investing in studies, infrastructure and research capacity to generate evidence that improves services and outcomes.
Media Contact:
Andrew Conkie
CEO at Red Star
andrew.conkie@redstar.ai