What will Benedict's Law mean for children with allergies?

As the start of the school year draws near, a new law should ensure life-saving allergy pens are held in schools across England - to protect those pupils at risk of severe allergic reactions.

The measures, which come into effect from September, will require English schools to maintain a stock of adrenaline pens in order to limit the impact of a severe allergic reaction on school premises.

Benedict's Law is named after five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died from an anaphylactic reaction to cow's milk at his school in Lincolnshire in 2021.

Bristol mum, Beth Hughes, described sending her daughter - who has a severe dairy and nut allergy - to school as "anxiety-inducing".

"My daughter has been given milk twice in school this year, and it was down to basic procedure failings," she said.

"Schools need very clear and consistent approaches and guidelines for all staff - to protect staff, as well as the children.

"It takes a lot of energy and strength to get everything in place, and the school are not really very good at having procedures in place across the board - so it's very anxiety-inducing, sending my daughter in to school."

The new law will require all schools in England to have an all-school allergy policy in place, as well as individual plans for at-risk students, training for all staff and teachers on how to treat allergic reactions, and the availability of life-saving adrenaline pens on site.

According to the National Allergy Strategy, the UK has one of the highest rates of allergies in the world, affecting 30% of adults and 39% of children, and encompassing everything from hay fever, to allergies to nuts and dairy which can cause anaphylaxis.

Schools which previously had their own allergy policy in place are having to adapt to meet the new requirements.

Gemma Blake, head of school at John Cabot Academy, said: "Twenty percent of allergic reactions happen in schools, so it's really important that school staff feel supported, reassured, are fully trained and know how to respond."

Staff at Bristol's Cotham School were able to come to aid of Morgan Penny, from Bristol, when she had a severe reaction to a flapjack last year.

Unbeknown to her, the flapjack contained Brazil nuts, something she had not reacted to since she was 18 months old.

"Within a matter of minutes of eating the breakfast bar, I was on the floor, unconscious, not breathing," she said.

If her school had not already had access to an adrenaline pen, she "probably would have died", she said.

"I'm only here today because of the slim chance that they had an EpiPen, and the slim chance that they were trained in using it."

She said Benedict's Law could "drastically reduce the risk" for people like her who have an anaphylactic reaction to certain foodstuffs.

Dr Anna Thursby-Pelham, paediatric and allergy consultant at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, said most children are aware they have food allergies by the time they reach school, but there is a small cohort who may develop a specific food allergy at a later stage.

"Between 8-10% of patients will have a food allergy, with around about 2.5% having a food allergy and risk of anaphylaxis," she said, stressing the importance of "a consistent approach across all schools".

"Having knowledge - people around the children who can recognise it - will be transformational."

Tracey Dunn, from Anaphylaxis UK, said the new measures represent the "most significant improvement for children and young people with allergies in England's schools".

She advises parents to speak with their child's school about how it is implementing Benedict's Law and the new statutory guidance.

"Children and young people should now be able to attend school with greater confidence, knowing that their school is better prepared to recognise and respond appropriately to an allergic reaction."

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