NEW funding has been made available to improve the lives of people with asthma.

An innovation grant of up to £60,000 is being offered by the Scottish Government and Asthma UK to explore digital technology to help patients.

They say this could be linked to "smart inhalers" or similar devices to help those with the condition.

Health Secretary Shona Robison said: "We are committed to providing the best-quality care and treatment for people living with asthma in Scotland.

"In partnership with the Asthma UK Centre for Applied Research at the University of Edinburgh we have already invested £300,000 in asthma research, and I'm really pleased to now invite applications for this innovation fund.

"Collaborative working like this is crucial to enhance research, develop treatments and find new ways to improve the lives of people living with asthma."

The charity and the Scottish Government are contributing £30,000 each for an innovation grant to explore novel applications of digital technology in asthma which could "significantly enhance" the quality of health and care.

Dr Erika Kennington, head of research at Asthma UK, said: "This area of digital health provides an exciting opportunity to improve care for the 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, helping more people stay well by offering personalised support to manage their condition.

"We look forward to seeing applications which include innovative project ideas that could really make a difference for people with asthma, and hope that this will bring us one step closer to preventing asthma attacks and curing asthma."