Two children’s asthma nurses have started working in the borough to provide specialist care and raise awareness of the condition’s symptoms.

Around 4,000 children in Newham have been diagnosed with asthma - a chronic condition which can be fatal - but it is thought the actual figure is much higher.

East London Foundation Trust and the Newham Clinical Commissioning Group created two posts to work with children and their families to optimise their treatment and provide advice and support to keep them symptom-free.

The nurses provide home and clinic visits and work with schools, GPs and hospital consultants to ensure children get the best care and warning signs are recognised earlier.

One of the nurses, Emily Guilmant-Farry, said: "We're both passionate about improving the lives of those with asthma, particularly children for whom the condition can be particularly damaging."

The nurses are supporting school nursing teams to gain asthma-friendly accreditation, which involves care plans for every known asthmatic child, training staff in emergency care, and a long-term plan for actively managing symptoms.