A warning to the UK education sector - REACT Report, Benedict Blythe Foundation
Please note, this article tackles difficult and upsetting information, including the death of a child from anaphylaxis.
Benedict Blythe lived with multiple severe allergies including milk, eggs, nuts, sesame, soya, chickpeas and kiwi, as well as having asthma.
On 1st December 2021, 5-year-old Benedict woke up, opened his advent calendar, and went to school. After eating, Benedict began to experience a severe allergic reaction. The symptoms of anaphylaxis took hold, causing him to struggle to breathe, have low blood pressure, and eventually collapse.
Tragically, he died later that day in hospital.
Since that fateful day, Benedict’s mother Helen has tirelessly campaigned for change - desperate to ensure his death is the last of its kind.
I first met Helen on a Zoom call back in April 2023, and was immediately impressed by her ability to have turned such a tragedy into momentum for action and a will for change.
Recently, the Benedict Blythe Foundation has published The REACT report - releasing groundbreaking statistics, and uncovering the lack of allergy safeguarding in UK education.
Did you know that HALF A MILLION days of school are missed due to allergies among children - every year!?
And whilst schools regularly put in place ‘no nut policies’ - 26% of food allergy deaths in school-aged children are caused by cows milk allergy alone.
But here’s a wake-up call: 1 in 3 schools DON'T have an allergy policy in place.
It's no surprise then that 50% of schools lack access to adrenaline pens, putting children’s lives at risk.
And we know that delays in administering adrenaline can lead to death. We've seen it happen too many times.
The REACT report calls for five key recommendations for schools:
Schools should report all known instances of allergic reactions and near misses.
All schools should have a specific allergy policy which includes an anaphylaxis plan.
All schools should have an Individual Healthcare Plan in place for every child with an allergy.
All schools should be funded to hold an in-date spare AAI with all staff trained in their use.
All school staff should be trained in allergy awareness, management and emergency response.
In light of all this, we decided to pop by King's Cross Academy to showcase a school doing it right:
- With a robust allergy policy in place,
- Spare adrenaline pens stored in one of our Anaphylaxis Kitts,
- Trained members of staff,
- Clear allergy management in the food hall.
Schools like this are leading the way, advocating for a new standard for allergy care. And we're here to support them every step of the way.
The report has picked up a considerable amount of press, being covered across national and local TV, radio, and papers, and has helped create a huge buzz for allergy awareness.
Congratulations to Helen Blythe for the monumental work being done in her late son Benedict's legacy.
To read the full report, click the image below.
If you want to find out more about our Anaphylaxis Kitt service, visit the Kitt Medical website at www.kittmedical.com
