The parents of children with allergies say ‘lives will be saved’ by new Government guidance, which will require every school in England to stock EpiPens and provide allergy training to all staff.
The statutory guidance, known as Benedict’s Law, will be published by the Department for Education on Monday and follows years of campaigning by the family of Benedict Blythe, who died aged five from anaphylaxis just months after he started primary school in 2021.
In what marks a significant milestone for schools, parents and children, the guidance will set out the practical steps that all 25,000 schools will have to take before the start of the new term in September amid a tremendous increase in the number of children suffering life-threatening allergies to food.
The Mail understands that the guidance will include a requirement to stock emergency auto-injector pens, also known as EpiPens, in case of an anaphylactic reaction and to train all staff – including temporary teachers, visiting tutors, and dinner ladies – to recognise and respond to allergic reactions.
All schools will also be expected to keep clear allergy policies and healthcare plans, ‘so no parent feels worried that their child may not be safe’, the DfE will say.
Benedict’s mother Helen Blythe, who set up the Benedict Blythe Foundation in memory of her son, said: ‘There will be children who we will never know, who will never know us, whose lives will be saved by Benedict’s Law. We are immensely proud of that, and it’s a legacy for our little boy that will last for generations.
‘The guidance will make England among the best education systems in the world for children with allergies, and is the result of a campaign hard-fought, but achieved only by the wonderful generosity of others who supported us along the way.’
The move comes amid a surprising spike in the number of children with potentially life-threatening allergies to food such as nuts, cow’s milk, eggs and fruit over the last two decades.
Figures from the Department for Education show pupils lost more than 500,000 learning days last year due to allergy-related illness or medical appointments.
Sarah Knight, founder of The Allergy Team, which has already provided support and allergy training to thousands of teachers and which worked closely with the DfE and the Benedict Blythe Foundation on the development of the guidance, said it would ‘make a huge difference’ to parents, children and teachers.
‘As a parent of two children with allergies, this is honestly amazing,’ she said. ‘I know how daunting it can be to navigate these allergies, and for that responsibility to sit on other people is a lot.
‘This guidance will give people the tools to support children or fellow staff members with allergies. And the fact that it requires all staff to have allergy training – from the music teacher to an extra member of the catering team – will reduce those vulnerabilities in the system.
‘People don’t just have allergic reactions at convenient times or in front of people with the right training.
‘My eldest son was turned down for a preschool place because they were worried they couldn’t keep him safe. Now, we’re about to apply for a secondary school place, and that worry will be much further down my list. It should be reassuring for all parents.’
Benedict suffered from asthma and had a number of allergies including eggs, kiwi fruit, nuts and milk. But despite his parents, Helen and Peter, helping his primary school in Stamford, Lincolnshire, to put together an allergy plan to cope with his needs, he was accidentally exposed to cow’s milk in December 2021 when the plan wasn’t followed.
An inquest heard there were delays in administering an adrenaline pen, which was a factor in his death.
The new guidance will also be written into legislation in the form of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act. Its allergy provisions will come into force in 2027.
Schools used to have on-site nurses, and they should still have them. However, this practice was discontinued for unknown reasons, most likely because it was too expensive, as money is always prioritised above children’s safety.
It’s extremely hard to cause harm with an EpiPen. If you give it and it’s not required, there is no lasting harm. If in doubt, it should always be given, as waiting minutes for an ambulance to arrive can mean it is too late for the reaction to be brought under control, and using an EpiPen is very simple; it would take about ten minutes to show someone how it is used; it is literally a push and click.
Allergies have become more prevalent, or at least they appear to have, and if having training in schools and EpiPens on site saves a child’s life, then it would be an extremely positive move.
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