CHAH Asthma

25/09/2026

If you have a respiratory condition such as asthma, it’s really important to have an annual flu vaccination.
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This is because the influenza virus can affect the airway and lungs, triggering an asthma attack.
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Most school-aged children will be offered a flu vaccination at school, however younger children may need to contact their GP surgery directly to arrange this.

18/09/2026

The September Spike is here and it can feel like a nerve wracking time if you have asthma or if you have a child with asthma or wheeze.

But there are some very simple measures you can take to help keep your child’s asthma well controlled during this time:
1️⃣ Get an Asthma Action Plan in place- this will help you recognize when your child’s asthma is getting worse and what to do if this happens.

2️⃣ Know how to use your child’s inhalers 💨 so that their asthma treatment can work properly.

3️⃣ Book an Asthma Review 🩺 with your GP or Practice Nurse; at least once a year, or after any asthma attack.

4️⃣ Know what your child’s asthma triggers are, and how go avoid them. This might involve avoiding animals, taking allergy treatment or ensuring no-one smokes in the household.

5️⃣ Make sure your child takes their preventer treatment every day - even when they feel well. An anti inflammatory is essential for keeping your child safe during viral season.

For more information:
https://www.croydonhealthservices.nhs.uk/asthma-september-spike/

18/09/2026

Our amazing Play Team 🌈 at the hospital have been helping us raise awareness of asthma 🫁 this week.

They created this ✨ educational display ✨ for children and their families to look at, as well as making a fantastic lung and airway model!

We are really grateful for all of their support in teaching children and young people what happens in their body during an asthma attack 👏

18/09/2026

We are busy recruiting Asthma Link Nurses for the Rainbow 🌈Children’s Unit and Paediatric Emergency Department 🚨this week.
Some of the nurses we have recruited are already trained as Asthma Champions 🥇but some are new to their roles and we will be supporting them in gaining knowledge and experience in asthma 🫁
They will play a key role in supporting children and young people with asthma 👧👦when they come to hospital🏥 and we are so grateful for their help!

18/09/2026

Really important as we head into autumn!

Why you should get your winter vaccines.

Flu can be a very serious illness and if you have a lung condition and catch flu, you’re more at risk of having an asthma attack or flare-up.

Vaccines are one of the most important things that the NHS does to prevent illness and save lives.

Book yours today.

17/09/2026

The Asthma

This week is of the year and it’s peak week for asthma hospital admissions!
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All around the world 🌎 mid-September is the most common time for asthma attacks.

Why?
- Getting up late 🥱 and staying up later during the summer holidays means that routines change, and good asthma habits like taking a daily preventer inhaler 💨 can lapse.

- the return to school 🏫 means mixing with other children again and subsequent exposure to coughs, colds and viruses 🦠

- after a long, hot summer, the weather starts to change 🍁☔️ and for those with seasonal asthma, this can be a trigger.

- flu season begins 🤧 and the flu virus can affect the airway and lungs 🫁

Luckily, there are some simple steps you can take to help your child during this time.
We’ll be sharing these tips soon, but for now, take a look at this information on the asthma September spike here:
https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/media/press-releases/charity-warns-september-spike-asthma-attacks-boys-more-risk

15/09/2026

Our ‘Back to Basics’ improvement target is to continue using teaching sessions to drive change.
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We use the national asthma audit to help us improve hospital discharges for children and young people with asthma.
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We will continue to deliver training to acute and community teams to spread key messages about asthma.

15/09/2026

Brilliant! 👏

Help your child beat the September asthma spike 📈 Read Dawn's article in the County Gazette today:

My name is Dawn Bradley, I am the lead paediatric respiratory clinical nurse specialist working with children and families across Somerset.

Asthma is the most common long-term medical condition affecting 1 in 11 children living in the UK. As children return to school this September, I would like to raise awareness of what healthcare professionals call the “September Spike”.

Each year, we see a significant increase in asthma attacks and hospital admissions when children return to school after the summer holidays.

During the first few weeks of term, children mix with classmates and seasonal viruses begin to circulate. For children with asthma, these viruses can trigger worsening symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and breathlessness.

The good news is that many asthma attacks can be prevented.
One of the most important things parents can do is make sure their child has attended their annual asthma review with their GP practice. If you cannot remember when the last review took place, now is a good time to book one.

Every child with asthma should have an asthma action plan. This personalised plan explains what to do if symptoms start to increase and when to seek medical advice.

It is also important that schools have a copy and ask whether the school is an Asthma Friendly School, with staff trained to recognise worsening symptoms and respond safely during an asthma attack. NHS England’s e-Learning for Healthcare platform offers free asthma training for schools involved in caring for children with asthma.

Children should continue taking their preventer inhaler exactly as prescribed, even when they are feeling well. It is also important to check inhaler technique regularly. In clinic, we often find that small changes to technique can make a big difference to how much medicine reaches the lungs.

If your child begins needing their reliever inhaler more frequently, develops a cough or wheeze, or symptoms continue for more than a couple of days, seek advice from your GP or asthma practice nurse.

As part of the national Ask About Asthma campaign, families are encouraged to:
• Get an asthma action plan
• Understand how to use inhalers correctly
• Attend an annual asthma review

By taking these simple steps now, we can help children stay well, stay in school and avoid a preventable hospital admission this autumn.

15/09/2026

Preventer every day
Keeps the symptoms away!

15/09/2026

If you’re using your reliever inhaler more than twice a week, it usually means your asthma isn’t properly controlled.
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Reliever inhalers contain a medicine called a ‘bronchodilator’, which open up the airway.
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However, they do not treat inflammation, which means they can’t treat asthma effectively.
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Occasional reliever inhaler use is ok, but the mainstay of asthma treatment is a preventer inhaler.