Benedict Blythe: EpiPens to be stocked in schools for emergency use after death of five year old boy
New legal requirements to protect children with allergies in schools have been welcomed by a mother whose five-year-old son tragically died from an allergic reaction.
Helen Blythe, whose son Benedict passed away in 2021, expressed relief that the new measures “will reduce the likelihood of other families going through what we went through.” The government announced these mandatory requirements, which replace previous non-statutory guidance.
Proposals currently under consideration would mandate mandatory allergy awareness training for all school staff, stocking of spare allergy pens for use in emergencies, and implementing comprehensive plans to support students with medical conditions.
The requirements, which will come into force in September, follow a campaign by the National Allergy Strategy Group and families including Helen and Peter Blythe.
The guidance states that schools should have individual health care plans for students with medical conditions. For a child with epilepsy, for example, this plan should cover the types of seizures and what to do in an emergency.
Ms Blythe told the Press Association: “This is an issue we have campaigned on as a family for a long time. It has been a challenging campaign, both business and emotionally.”
“These measures will reduce the likelihood of other families going through what we went through and Benedict’s memory will be etched in history books and time.
“We’ve always said that his life mattered and his death should matter too. And that matters too, that’s his legacy and that means a lot.”
The Blythe family has been campaigning for four years for the introduction of Benedict’s Law, which would make allergy safety mandatory in schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Blythe said the new protections were not in place when Benedict joined his school.
Early Education Minister Olivia Bailey said: “No parent should have to send their child to school out of concern that a life-threatening allergic reaction will not be dealt with quickly.
“We have listened to the families and organizations who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue and we are taking action.
“These new requirements will give parents confidence that every school has the training, plans and equipment to keep their children safe.”
Benedict died in December 2021 after accidental exposure to cow’s milk protein at Barnack Elementary School between Stamford and Peterborough.
An investigation found that the school did not follow all precautions to prevent a fatal anaphylactic reaction and that there were risks of contamination and delays in administering the adrenaline pen.
The prevention of future deaths report said initial investigations into Benedict’s death focused on the fact that he ate a McVitie’s biscuit he had brought from home on the day he collapsed.
It was later revealed that the biscuit did not cause Benedict’s anaphylactic reaction, and an investigation revealed that he had probably been given cow’s milk protein in his bottle during the break.
In the report, coroner Elizabeth Gray said the failure to preserve Benedict’s vomit or preserve evidence at the scene meant samples could not be tested, which could have helped identify what caused Benedict’s reaction at an earlier stage.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the new guidance but said schools needed funding to ensure they had the staff capacity to carry out tasks and could offer specialist health support where it was needed.
He added that some specialist health support, where more complex service delivery is required, cannot be delegated to school staff, even with training, and schools need to be clear on what to do in these situations.
“Expecting schools to stock ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors for use in emergencies seems a logical step, as would training staff to use them effectively,” he said.
“However, the Government needs to ensure there are sufficient stocks available across the country to ensure every setting has sufficient supplies of adrenaline auto-injectors.”
