Child with Asthma - ‘At risk’ letter

[Alwaysawake45]

My son (7) received the ‘at risk’ letter due to his asthma. He has very mild asthma to the point where the clinic is unsure he has it at all, he does take a low dose brown inhaler daily and it is under review. I’m surprised he received the letter as it contradicts both the government guidelines (which state severe asthma) and the advice on asthma.co.uk. Our GP said they have just sent it to all people with asthma, is this standard across the board?

Not standard here. My son has brittle asthma (also known as severe) he takes 3 inhalers, montelukast, long term azythromycin and 8 steroid tablets a day. The gp here is only issuing letters to asthmatics within the medication guidelines.

That's weird. We've not had one for either me or my DS (9), and both of us are occasional steroid inhaler users. I thought most surgeries were only contacting direct those patients who were sufficiently at risk that they needed to be shielding and staying inside for the whole lockdown.

I believe the latter's have come from a central source not GP's though. DS hasn't had one and I thought he would as he has a combination inhaler, montelukast and daily antihistamines all for asthma but we haven't had one.

Is he being seen by a hospital clinic at the moment rather then just the GP. I do wonder if DS had still been under the consultant weather he would have got one. Asthma UK still says he should be isolating anyway so I've gone off that. I'm getting the impression they haven't been very consistent.

Hmm, maybe that’s it. He has been seen by a specialist asthma clinic as he had a couple of cases of ‘viral wheeze’ and they were considering whether he was asthmatic and given brown inhaler. At his last review the specialist thought that it was looking unlikely that he was asthma.

My 4 year old had the letter too. He hasn't been diagnosed as asthmatic but was hospitalised with viral wheeze a couple of years back and now uses blue inhaler as and when needed. So maybe it's the viral wheeze thing that's triggered it.

I haven't had the letter and I've got bad asthma - 3 lots of medication daily and hospitalised at least once a year with attacks.

Not sure if I think I qualify or not but there doesn't seem to be much clarification

My DD has mild asthma, brown inhaler twice a day, blue as needed. We didnt get a letter . I know asthma increases your risk but thought it was only those at very high risk that received a letter.

I’m surprised there is so little clarification considering there are so many people with asthma. The viral wheeze suggestion could make sense but the GP surgery did say they had sent the letter to him because of ‘asthma’ and the letter had been sent as standard.

It doesn't really make sense. I've had a letter and I had a brief 4 week spell of having to use a blue inhaler at night due to an allergic cough. Think it's down as allergic asthma but I would never have considered myself asthmatic. I'm assuming it's an error.

I think maybe your son has had a letter, as opposed to the letter, if that makes sense. I gather that some GPs are sending letters to everyone on their list with asthma, as a caution.

The letter, in contrast, has been sent centrally from the NHS to (apparently) 1.5 million people including those with properly severe asthma and there's no escaping that it's the letter. It is not subtle!

My shielding letter came with my GP practice stamp on it.
As I understand the guidelines for the shielding letter are, 4 courses of oral steroids since June plus 3 or more medications to treat the asthma at the higher doses I'm not sure after hospital admission is a criteria.