A hospital trust has introduced a team of specialists to support young people living with asthma.

A new team of Clinical Nurse Specialists has been appointed by Barking Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust to help care for young asthma suffers.

Laura King, one of the Clinical Nurse Specialists at the trust, said: “A big part of our role is in the community, to prevent children from becoming so poorly that they need to come to hospital. Our ultimate aim is to help children and young people manage their own asthma, and not need us anymore!

“A good understanding of asthma is the most powerful tool we have to stop children coming to A&E and urgent care. Asthma is a really common condition - one in ten children has it - yet it hasn’t always been taken seriously and people are surprised to find out you can die from it. I find it frustrating that it isn’t seen equally with other long-term conditions such as diabetes.”

Part of the team's work has been to make sure every child has an asthma plan, setting out things like what they need to do if they are having an attack, and to make sure they keep taking their medication – which can mean that children are four times less likely to have an attack.