Lung charity warns of likely increase in asthma attacks as pupils head back to school in Scotland

Analysis by Asthma + Lung UK Scotland reveals there was a sharp spike in the number of asthma emergency admissions for children as Scottish kids went back to school last year. The number of children rushed to hospital with asthma symptoms in September 2025 was more than twice that in July 2025 (1). 

Now the charity is concerned asthma hospital admissions for children in Scotland may increase again in August and September this year, as children return to school.^1. 

Asthma + Lung UK Scotland’s most recent data from 2025 shows there were 55 hospital admissions for school-aged children in July, 73 in August and 146 in September. In the last five years there have been 1138 children admitted to hospital in an emergency for asthma in August and September.^1. 

This increase in hospital admissions can be explained by the disruption of preventer inhaler routines over school holidays, leading to children's airways becoming more sensitive to asthma triggers when they go back to school. According to the charity’s annual survey of people with lung conditions these triggers often include viruses, colds and dust.^2.

If you are a parent or carer of a child with asthma and are concerned about their return to school, you can help reduce their risk of an asthma attack by doing the following:  

1. As a priority, make sure they use their steroid preventer inhaler daily, as prescribed, even when they feel well, as this helps stop their airways from getting inflamed over time.  
2. Check that your child's reliever inhaler (usually blue) is in their bag before leaving for school every day. If they use a spacer, make sure they take this too. They should be kept somewhere they can get to easily at any time, like during PE or if they are on a school trip.  
3. Ask your doctor's surgery for an extra reliever inhaler and give it to your child's school or college. This should preferably be in its original packaging. Send in a spacer too, if your child uses one. It should always be easily accessible and not stored in a locked cupboard.  
4. Arrange for your child to have an annual asthma review with their GP or asthma nurse. This will help pick up any early symptoms. 
5. Have an asthma action plan and share it with your child’s school or college – this keeps   everything staff needs to know in one place, including information about their triggers, symptoms and medicines. It also explains what to do if your child has an asthma attack. You can download one from Asthma + Lung UK’s website here: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/child/manage/action-plan
6. Make sure your child knows how to use their inhalers properly. Your GP or asthma nurse can  check your child’s inhaler technique at their annual review. You can also ask your pharmacist to check your child’s inhaler technique when you next pick up your child’s asthma medicines. You can also watch our simple and quick inhaler technique videos: https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/living-with/inhaler-videos
7.  If a child is having an asthma attack and their symptoms are not improving with a reliever inhaler, call 999 and follow our asthma attack advice for children at www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/conditions/asthma/child/asthma-attacks.

Asthma + Lung UK Scotland is encouraging school staff to download the charity’s free Asthma at School poster from the charity’s website, so teachers know what the five lifesaving steps are if a pupil is having an asthma attack. It can be found here.  

An estimated 90,000 children are living with asthma in Scotland.³

Public Health Minister Maree Todd said:

“We welcome Asthma + Lung UK Scotland's campaign work to raise awareness and help ensure children with asthma get the support they need to stay safe and well at school. Alongside this, Scotland's National Severe Asthma Pathway, introduced earlier this year, is helping to improve the early identification and management of severe asthma across NHS Scotland.

“The Scottish Government has also issued guidance to schools, education authorities and health boards on the use of reliever inhalers in an emergency. Schools have discretionary powers to buy and hold spare salbutamol inhaler devices, without the need for a prescription, to use in emergency situations when a pupil’s own device is not available”

Tracy Bupitt, from Cumbernauld lost her 12-year-old daughter Katy to an asthma attack in November 2021. She also has four other children with asthma. She said: 

“Simply put, people don’t understand how dangerous asthma can be. I’ve seen first-hand how quickly an asthma attack can become severe. Katy could go from being absolutely fine to a full-blown attack, needing nebulisers within twenty minutes. 

“Children with asthma returning to school are more at risk because of the spike in their triggers. It’s crucial to keep using a preventer inhaler even in the busy times like the summer holidays and have in place a robust asthma management plan.

“I’d also like all schools round Scotland to download and display the Asthma at Schools poster, so staff have the knowledge and confidence to know what to do if a pupil has an asthma attack”. 

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma + Lung UK Scotland, said: 

“When children go back to school after the summer holidays, a rise in the number of asthma attacks is often seen, unfortunately leading to more hospital visits. An increase in viruses, coughs and colds or dust mites in schools could be to blame.

“With this in mind, Asthma + Lung UK Scotland is asking parents and teachers to look out for signs that their child or pupil’s asthma may be worsening. This could be breathlessness, wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and if it is, to take urgent action.

“Over the hectic summer holidays, preventer inhaler routines can sometimes slip, which can leave children much more vulnerable to an asthma attack when they return to school and are around more triggers. 

“As a reminder too for schools, we would encourage them to download our fantastic free Asthma at School poster, so they are prepared for the new term and know what to do if a pupil does have an asthma attack.”

Reference

1. Asthma + Lung UK analysis of bespoke data supplied by Public Health Scotland. Asthma emergency admissions (2016-2025) for children (5-19 years old). Asthma (ICD10, J45-J46) diagnosis as an underlying cause of the admission. For the August and September 1138 asthma figure: 409+729.

2. Asthma triggers, Asthma + Lung UK Life with a Lung Condition Survey 2025. 518 of 843 surveyed in Scotland reported living with asthma.

• 73% of people with asthma in Scotland find their lung condition is triggered by colds and flu. 
• 55% of people with asthma in Scotland find their lung condition is triggered by dust. 

3. Asthma + Lung UK calculation using ONS mid-2024 population estimates and national health survey asthma prevalence estimates (Scottish Health Survey 2024).

The Scottish Health Survey 2024 - Volume 1: Main Report (2025) - Scottish Government https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-health-survey-2024-volume-1-main-report/. 

Dataset mid-2024 estimates of the population for the UK, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland (2025) - Office for National Statistics. Available at: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationestimatesforukenglandandwalesscotlandandnorthernireland