Asthma toll spirals among children

The number of children admitted to hospital with severe asthma attacks is rising sharply - and a child is now admitted every four minutes, according to a new survey.

The survey, Impact of Asthma, which covered 44,000 children and adults, found that 12 per cent had been to an accident and emergency department because of a bad asthma attack at least once in the past year.

Among children under 12,16.5 per cent had been admitted as emergencies at least once over the same period.

The National Asthma Campaign, which commissioned the survey, said doctors treating the nation's 3 million asthma sufferers should ensure thattreatments were regularly reviewed.

It warned that despite big improvements in general standards over the past few years, many patients were still not getting the best possible care.