EMERGENCY asthma inhalers are to be made available to children in schools across Trafford for the first time.

Government health officials have taken the step to prevent the deaths of up to 20 children a year who currently die in schools in England and Wales every year

At the moment, schools can’t hold emergency asthma inhalers because they are prescription medicines. However, the plan is to introduce a new regulations, which will mean that form October 1, schools will have spare asthma inhalers on hand.

Kay Boycott, chief executive of Asthma UK, said: “One in 11 children in the UK has asthma, the most common long term condition in childhood and more than two thirds of children with asthma have told us they have had an asthma attack whilst they’ve been at school. Tragically the equivalent of a classroom of children still die from asthma every year, this simply has to stop.

"Following a long fought campaign by Asthma UK, schools will be able to legally keep spare emergency inhalers to keep children with asthma safe at school from 1 October. This will not only give reassurance to millions of parents across the UK but it is also vital for the two children in every classroom with asthma to reduce their risk of having a potentially life threatening asthma attack at school.”

The UK currently has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma symptoms in the world.

The symptoms can have a huge impact on a child’s life, affecting their ability to play sport, to sleep well and even go to school. However, asthmatic children will now be able to take part in sport if they forget their inhaler and letting the school hold a spare will also reduce time away from class.

Any change in the legislation will not make the holding of an inhaler mandatory; instead it will be to facilitate the implementation of such a policy in those schools that wish to do so.

Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt said:“Children with asthma, and their parents, should not have to worry about suffering an asthma attack without having the necessary medication - and this common-sense change is an important step forward.”