London hospitals are getting ready for more childhood asthma attacks as children go back to school this month. Every September, the number of children rushed to A&E with asthma attacks goes up.  

Many children and young people in London have asthma. Fewer children have asthma in London than in the rest of England, but London children with asthma are more likely to end up in hospital than children elsewhere in the country. 

Doctors say that most asthma attacks in children can be prevented. This makes it even more important for parents and carers to know the warning signs and take action early. 

This year marks ten years of the NHS #AskAboutAsthma campaign in London. To mark the anniversary, the NHS is asking parents, carers and schools to do four simple things this week: 

• Get an asthma action plan. 

• Check your child is using their inhaler correctly. 

• Book your child’s annual asthma review. 

• Think about how air quality affects your child’s lungs. 

Consistently embedding these asks into year-round asthma management helps children and young people to stay safe and well and to live symptom free. Despite progress made across England and examples of excellence, many children do not receive some of these basic care processes. The challenge lies in the need for aligned action between families, education, local authority, local and specialist health care and neighbourhood health presents a real opportunity to act now. 

Dr Chris Streather, Regional Medical Director for the NHS in London, said: “We know how frightening it can be to watch a child struggle with an asthma attack, and how relentless it can feel trying to keep their symptoms under control. Every attack is a warning sign, not something any family should have to accept as normal. Each September, we see children ending up in hospital when, in many cases, it could have been prevented, and we want parents and carers to know that support is there to help stop that happening.” 

Brent is one of the London boroughs where children are most likely to be admitted to hospital with asthma. To tackle this, Brent Integrated Care Partnership and North West London health partners launched a programme to identify children with suspected or high-risk asthma, particularly in communities experiencing the greatest health inequalities.   

The programme identified 1,877 children with suspected asthma and 922 children with high-risk asthma. Early results show a 31% reduction in asthma-related A&E attendances and a 10% reduction in hospital admissions across the borough, highlighting the benefits of earlier diagnosis, proactive management and neighbourhood-based support. 

Dr Rammya Mathew, who led the programme, said: “We stopped waiting for children to reach crisis point and started looking for those who were undiagnosed, particularly in areas facing the greatest hardship. Early diagnosis and proactive management save lives. 

“Families in Brent can find out more at an Asthma and Wellbeing Day at Harlesden Library on Thursday 11 September, 11am to 5pm.” 

Aishah, a parent from Brent, said: “The enhanced asthma review with Dr Rammya made a real difference. After changing my son to a Symbicort inhaler, his symptoms have significantly improved. As a parent, it’s given me much more confidence in managing his asthma.” 

What worked in Brent could help to reduce hospital admissions across London. The NHS is urging all families and schools to act now: get an asthma action plan, check inhaler technique, book the annual review, and think about air quality. 

Find out more here. 

Figures from: 

• NICE