Children invited to trial new asthma inhaler 

University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) is looking for children aged 6 to 11 years old with asthma to test a new inhaler that could improve control and help reduce attacks.

Asthma is a condition that causes breathing difficulties due to swelling of tubes in the lungs. Children with asthma may cough or wheeze, and some children and young people with asthma continue to suffer frequent attacks, despite the usually effective therapies available.

Asthma symptoms and attacks are normally treated with two inhalers, where one briefly opens the airways, and the other prevents another attack. The combination inhaler contains both a long-lasting reliever and preventer steroid medicine, which aims to relieve immediate symptoms and deal with underlying inflammation.

The Child Health Research Team at Poole Hospital

Francesca Diaz, UHD Child Health Research Nurse, said: “The combo inhaler has been shown to work well in older children and adults. However, this treatment option is not currently available to children under 12 due to insufficient existing clinical trial data. In this study, we will compare the effectiveness, safety and cost effectiveness of the combo inhaler compared to current treatments, and we have had positive feedback from children currently on the trial.”

After an initial screening visit via phone, children will be randomly assigned to two groups; the ‘Intervention’ (change to the combo inhaler), or ‘Control’ (use their current inhaler(s)

Children and parents will then be invited to attend four visits in total over 12 months. The first and last (at one year), visits will be in person at Poole Hospital’s Children’s Outpatient Department.  Follow-up visits are at four and eight months, which can be done over the phone.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this study, funded by the National Institute for Health and care Research (NIHR), email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.careukstudy.uk/

The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research.   We do this by:

• funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care
• investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services
• partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research
• attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges
• collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system
• funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries

 The NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. The NIHR Global Health Research portfolio supports high-quality applied health research for the direct and primary benefit of people in LMICs, using international development funding from the UK Government.

Information for parents 

In summer  2026, the Children’s Unit at Poole Hospital will relocate to the BEACH (Births, Emergencies and critical care, And Child Heath) Building at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH), along with other major services including the Emergency Department.

The new Children’s Unit at RBH will comprise of the Children’s Assessment Unit and Children’s Day Care Unit, featuring family-centred inpatient wards and high dependency specialist areas in a purpose built, state-of-the-art space.

The Children’s Outpatients Department will remain at Poole, and there will continue to be an Urgent Treatment Centre on site. It is expected that dual outpatient services will eventually operate at both Poole and RBH, ensuring care remains local and accessible for the community.

For more information about UHD’s transformation plans, part of a £500m investement in local health services, head here: Transforming Care Together