Local NHS Launches New Asthma App For Children

NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin are proud to be supporting the national #AskAboutAsthma week beginning Monday 3 October 2022. The week is being marked across the county with the launch of a new app aimed at helping children and young people to better manage their asthma.

Around 5000 children and young people are registered as asthmatic across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. The NHS has recently funded specialist nurses to support asthma education and reviews in our area, which will lead to a rise in annual asthma reviews, and training offered to primary care staff and schools. There is also a plan to invest in a pilot diagnostic hub

to ensure the NHS captures patients with asthma at an early stage.

NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin are looking at how to support children with asthma to manage their own condition and have commissioned an asthma app called the 'Digital Health Passport' which can help educate children and parents.  NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin have also commissioned a range of activities for children with asthma which will support their confidence and breathing technique.

NHS Shropshire Telford and Wrekin are keen to use #AskAboutAsthma week to communicate with the public around some of the local innovations which are happening and to get people talking about asthma. In support of this The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust are providing asthma themed activities for children in paediatrics and offering goodie bags during #AskAboutAsthma week. The vaccination buses in Shrewsbury and Telford will also be used to target children and help deliver public messaging.

Lynette Charles, Lead Children’s Respiratory Nurse at SaTH said “We are delighted to have secured funding for additional services to support children and young people with asthma in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. As well as recruiting specialist nurses to help run reviews and education sessions, we are also embracing digital technology in an effort to make a real difference to young people with asthma.

“The new app, which can be downloaded for free, helps children manage their asthma. It notifies them when they are due to take their inhaler, alerts them of particularly high pollen or air pollution triggers and keeps their annual review document easily accessible.”

The new app, from Tiny Medical Devices, can be downloaded here free of charge. Parents of children with asthma are encouraged to speak to their GP or practice nurse for more information.