Allergy management support following inquest

13-year-old Hannah died from a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) as she was on her way to school via a dentist appointment. 

She was allergic to cow’s milk and became unwell after taking a sip of hot chocolate from Costa coffee which she thought had been made with soya milk. The inquest raised a couple of points which are relevant to schools. 

1. The coroner noted that “neither Hannah or her mother were carrying an EpiPen that had been prescribed” and she will be writing to the Department for Education asking them to consider the practicalities of pupils with allergies always carrying adrenaline when travelling to and from school. 

Always having access to two adrenaline pens is vital for people at risk of anaphylaxis because anaphylaxis is a time-critical medical emergency. 

We would urge you to remind pupils with allergies and their families to always have two, in-date adrenaline during their journeys and to consider if you need to take action to facilitate this. You should also ensure they take their devices on school trips and to sports fixtures, and if they leave the school site during lunch break or free periods etc. 

2. Hannah’s mother, Abi Duyile, has joined calls for better public awareness (including in businesses and schools) of how to manage anaphylaxis. 

Please take this opportunity to remind your school community of the symptoms and treatment of allergic reactions. 

Free resources and training for schools including an updated the template Allergy and Anaphylaxis Policy created for the ISBA which is available to all schools for free, and our staff allergy and anaphylaxis training to reflect these points. Both will be available for Inset days at the start of term. 

Please email schools@theallergyteam.com if you would like further information or support.