About

Tameside hospital’s paediatric (0-16years) Asthma Service offers a multi-disciplinary approach, providing holistic and coordinated asthma management.

The Children’s Asthma Service is based at Tameside Hospital, the service includes:

  • Ward reviews
  • Home visits
  • Joint nurse and consultant asthma clinics
  • Support with accessing to smoking cessation advice- smoking is a big asthma trigger.
  • Telephone consultations
  • Nurse led asthma clinics covering anatomy and physiology of asthma and advice re support, housing, school and anxiety.
  • Spirometry and FENO- Fraction exhaled nitric oxide testing- looking at inflammation within the airways
  • RAST or skin prick testing- looking at common allergies such as dust, pollens and pets
  • Transition work for preparation of adults services
  • The important basics are your inhaler technique, adherence to taking your preventor inhaler even when well, understanding you personalised asthma action and plan and knowing when to attend the hospital. Understanding your triggers and how to reduce exposure or manage and ensuring you attend review appointments. The goal is prevention!
  • Missing out on school, coughing at night and not being able to exercise and all clues that your asthma needs a review.
  • Core hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm (excluding bank holidays) hours can change to provide flexibility for families when needed.
  • Please bring inhalers to clinic (even old ones and we will recycle!)

The Team

The team consists of four consultants and one asthma nurse specialist. The service works in partnership with the ward, emergency department and community nursing team and has good links to school nurses, health visitors, practice nurses, the nutrition team, and the community Be well Tameside stop smoking service.


Useful resources

Don't forget the Ask about asthma campaign returns 8th-11th September lots of webnairs and podcasts aimed at parents and professionals- please register for free today!

The #AskAboutAsthma campaign returns in 2025 | Primary Care Respiratory Society
TAPES.pdf

Twitter page: amyrespnurse

The Digital Health Passport is a personal health record that helps young people aged 13-21 years old to take control of their health and manage their asthma easier.  It contains a digital asthma action plan and symptom tracker.

Useful websites links: 

1. Asthma & Lung UK: How to use your inhaler: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhaler-videos/ 

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2. Asthma & Lung UK: Preventer inhalers: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/inhalers-and-spacers/preventer/

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3. Asthma & Lung UK: Asthma Action Plans: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/child/manage/action-plan/

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4. Asthma & Lung UK: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/inhalers-medicines-treatments/add-on-treatments/montelukast/

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5. Asthma UK: Peak flow measuring: https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/manage-your-asthma/peak-flow/#externalvideoblock5907

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6. How to use a Turbohaler inhaler | Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk) 

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7. How to use nasal spray | Asthma + Lung UK (asthmaandlung.org.uk)

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8. Allergy UK: https://www.allergyuk.org/

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Beat asthma

Home - Beat Asthma

Asthma and anxiety

Microsoft Word - Document1 (beatasthma.co.uk)

 

For information on local family hubs for welfare support, please see below

 

Family Hubs - Tameside MBC


Referrals

Nurse referrals are accepted from the inpatient ward, CCNT or children already under Tameside Hospital at present. This is a non-urgent service.

Advice can be given to health professionals via email.

Every child with asthma should be reviewed annually by their asthma team at the GP-even if under the hospital.

Children can be referred to the hospital by the GP.


Specialist Clinics

Name of clinic: Paediatric asthma clinics

Asthma Clinical lead: Dr Block

Consultants: Dr Purves, Dr West and Dr Levy

Name of Secretary and contact details: Joanna Robinson 0161 701 5259

 

Free training Available!

We encourage anyone who supports children and young people to complete this 45minute module. This may include, but is not limited to:

  • teachers and school support staff;
  • youth workers;
  • children’s group leaders (e.g. wraparound and holiday clubs, uniform groups, sports and hobby clubs);
  • staff working in Children and Family Centres;
  • social care and housing staff;
  • parents, carers, and friends of young people with asthma.

Link: Supporting Children's Health and Young People with Asthma (educationforhealth.org)

 

Training for health professionals

Tier 2 - Supporting use of prescribed care

Basic review, ensure correct use of devices, managing acute asthma attack 

• Community pharmacist

• Ward/community nurses

• Health Visitors

• School nurses

• Practice nurses

• Nursing associates

• Hospital play therapists

• Allied Health Professionals (AHP)

• Ambulance staff

NHSE elfh Hub (e-lfh.org.uk)

Tier 3 - Assessment and prescribing of asthma care Diagnosing asthma, reviewing asthma, stepping treatment up and down 

• General Practitioners

• Paediatricians

• Emergency Department Doctors

• Practice nurses with a special interest

• Clinical pharmacists

• Doctors in Training

NHSE elfh Hub (e-lfh.org.uk)

Tier 4 You will need funding for- This covers assessment and prescribing for more difficult to treat asthma. Dealing with cases where diagnosis is uncertain, managing hard to control cases 

• Specialist asthma and allergy clinicians

• Paediatricians with special interest in asthma

• Advanced Clinical Practitioners

• Advanced Nurse Practitioner

Advancing Paediatric Asthma Care Course (Online) – Rotherham Respiratory LTD