Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that emergency medication for pupils with allergies is accessible, labelled and in-date, following the failings highlighted in the case of Benedict Blythe.

The statutory guidance ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ is clear that all medicines should be stored safely. Children should know where their medicines are at all times and be able to access them immediately, including when outside of school premises. Where relevant, they should know who holds the key to the storage facility. Medicines and devices such as asthma inhalers, blood glucose testing meters and adrenaline pens should be always readily available.

Schools are required under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions, including allergies. Schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with medical conditions and have policies and processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. Governing bodies must ensure that the arrangements they put in place are sufficient to meet their statutory responsibilities and that policies, plans, procedures and systems are properly and effectively implemented.