City school is first to get asthma friendly status

A Sheffield school has become the first in the city to be given "asthma friendly" status due to its efforts to support children with the condition.

Ballifield Community Primary School in Handsworth has trained staff to spot signs of problems in asthmatic children, and to support them to reduce the chances of medical emergencies.

The award status came from NHS South Yorkshire's Children and Young People’s Alliance, which works to improve youngsters' health and reduce inequalities.

Ballifield's learning mentor Molly Rushforth said: "Due to an increasing amount of children being diagnosed with this long-term condition we felt it was important to raise awareness."

Respiratory nurse Emma Sheppard with Ballifield pupils Caitlin and Owen, and learning mentor Molly Rushforth

In order to gain asthma friendly status, a school must do the following:

• all staff to be trained in asthma awareness;

• have an asthma policy and asthma register;

• ensure a consistent approach to where and how inhalers are stored in the school;

• develop a notification system of when inhalers are due to expire;

• ensure the school has a spare emergency inhaler and spacer;

• have a process in place of when to escalate individual cases to a health professional and/or parents/carers.

Dr Sonal Kansra, Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine at Sheffield Children's Hospital, said: “Asthma is the most common long-term medical condition in children in the UK, with around one in 11 children and young people living with asthma.

"In the UK we have one of the highest rates of emergency admission and deaths for childhood asthma in Europe.

"Schools and education partners across South Yorkshire play a significant part of helping us to improve the lives and health of children living with asthma."

Schools log information about inhalers and keep spares as part of the scheme

The asthma friendly programme was piloted in eight primary and secondary schools across South Yorkshire and is now open to schools in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.

Ms Rushforth said: “We are delighted to be the first school in Sheffield to have received this recognition of being an asthma friendly school.

"We wanted to improve our knowledge and self-confidence so we could improve the care of pupils with asthma in our school.

"Due to an increasing amount of children being diagnosed with this long-term condition we felt it was important to raise awareness.

"We know this awareness will improve classroom performance and child participation in physical activity."

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