Mandatory asthma management training in schools
Tabled 1 June 2026 by Ayoub Khan
That this House notes with concern that asthma is the most common chronic childhood condition, affecting approximately one in 11 children; recognises that asthma is a leading cause of school absence, and that 90 per cent of asthma deaths in children are considered preventable; is concerned by reports that many teachers and school staff feel unprepared to recognise or respond to asthma attacks, including reports received by the George Coller Memorial Fund of children experiencing breathing difficulties being left alone in corridors; acknowledges the statutory duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 requiring schools to support pupils with medical conditions; believes that general medical conditions training is insufficient where asthma-specific risks are concerned; further believes that categorising asthma management training and emergency inhalers in schools as optional rather than mandatory unnecessarily puts the lives of children at risk; welcomes the work of the George Coller Memorial Fund, founded by Kim Douglas following the death of her son George from undiagnosed and untreated asthma at the age of three, to secure practical, lifesaving changes for children suffering from asthma; further notes that allergy awareness training is set to become mandatory for all school staff in England from September 2026, thanks to the passage of Benedict's Law; also believes the same principle should apply to asthma management training; and calls on the Government to introduce mandatory annual asthma management training for all teaching and non-teaching school staff in the United Kingdom.