School staff to get advice on asthma danger

Asthma attack cards will be distributed to schools next month with important information about what to do if a child collapses.

In 2008 regional health chiefs set a target of reducing avoidable hospital admissions for children with asthma by 50 per cent in the next decade. The illness affects about one child in 11.

The need for better information in schools was identified as one way of reducing the impact of the illness in a joint initiative with the charity Asthma UK which has designed up pocket-sized guides for school staff.

Jean Hawkins, children’s lead at the regional health authority, said: “The cards give step-by-step information to staff on what to do if one of their children has an asthma attack.”