London Hospitals Prepare for Annual September Rise in Childhood Asthma Attacks

London hospitals are preparing for the annual September increase in children needing emergency treatment for asthma as pupils return to school after the summer holidays.

The NHS says A&E attendances for childhood asthma consistently increase at this time of year. Although fewer children have asthma in London than across England overall, children with the condition in the capital are more likely to require hospital treatment.

The pattern, often referred to as the “September Spike”, is associated with children returning to classrooms and being exposed to respiratory viruses and other asthma triggers. Disruption to preventer inhaler routines during the summer holidays can also leave children’s airways more sensitive when they return to school.

Figures from last year demonstrate how significant the increase can be. Across England, emergency asthma admissions among children aged five to 14 increased by 357% between August and September 2025, rising from 280 to 1,280.

There are also considerable inequalities in which children require hospital care. More than a third of childhood emergency asthma admissions in September 2025 involved children living in the most deprived areas of England, while children from ethnic minority backgrounds accounted for almost half of admissions.

NHS London is using the tenth anniversary of its #AskAboutAsthma campaign to encourage families and schools to take preventative action. Parents and carers are being asked to ensure children have an asthma action plan, know how to use their inhalers correctly, receive an annual asthma review and consider how air quality could be affecting their condition.

There are signs that proactive support can make a difference. A programme in Brent identified 1,877 children with suspected asthma and another 922 considered at high risk. Early results show asthma-related A&E attendances falling by 31% and hospital admissions by 10% across the borough.

The NHS says most asthma attacks in children can be prevented, making good management particularly important during the first weeks of the new school year. For parents and schools, worsening coughing, wheezing, chest tightness or breathlessness can all be signs that a child’s asthma is becoming less well controlled and needs attention.

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