Schoolchildren in England are more than five times more likely to end up in hospital with an asthma attack at the start of the new school year, according to a new analysis.

Recent official figures from NHS England show a 408% rise in the number of children aged between five and 14 being admitted to hospital in September last year compared to August.

Boys are more likely to be hospitalised than girls, with records showing that 1,190 boys in this age group were admitted to hospital in September 2024 compared to 730 girls.

The findings have prompted leading asthma charity Asthma Lung UK, which conducted the analysis, to issue an urgent alert to parents and teachers.

Asthma is the most common long term condition among children and young people and is one of the top 10 reasons for emergency hospital admission in the UK, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

‘September is a dangerous time for all children with asthma’

Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at the charity and a practising GP, said: “It’s important to stress that September is a dangerous time for all children with asthma, regardless of gender.”

Sarah Bage, 37, from Ely, Cambridgeshire, is worried about the return to school after her son Noah, six, had a serious asthma attack last September.

“Noah was hospitalised with asthma for the first time in May 2024, and since then, we’ve had several terrifying trips to A&E,” she said.

“Last September, he became very ill just a few days after starting Year One. He picked up a virus, which I now know to be one of his........

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