Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve NHS support for children and families with severe food allergies.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions. 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. This includes allergies. The policy should also set out how staff will be supported in carrying out their role to support pupils, including how training needs are assessed and how training is commissioned and provided. Any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs should have received suitable training.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) encourages food businesses to complete the FSA’s allergen e-learning course and recommends that it is retaken annually to refresh knowledge and ensure that businesses are up to date on any changes which may have occurred. The FSA online training is free and offers practical advice to anyone wanting to learn more about food allergy.
NHS England has also produced the Healthy School Child e-learning programme, which available at the following link:
https://www.e-lfh.org.uk/programmes/healthy-school-child/
This programme is designed for healthcare professionals, including school nurses, working with children aged five to 12 years old. Module 5 of the e-learning programme includes sessions on asthma, eczema, and other allergies.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of making more emergency adrenaline auto-injectors available in community settings.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In November 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Commission on Human Medicine’s Adrenaline Auto-injector Expert Working Group, with wide-ranging input from patient groups, leading allergy experts, and healthcare professionals, published a report which outlined recommendations for the safe and effective use of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), including quicker treatment, to help save lives. The MHRA has worked alongside the Department and the wider health system to take forward these recommendations, some of which are already in place.
In June 2023, the MHRA, with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and to provide advice on the use of AAIs. The MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs. Alongside this, the MHRA produced guidance, which states that prescribers should prescribe two AAIs to make sure patients always have the second dose, and that those who are prescribed AAIs should always carry two AAIs at all times.
The majority of community pharmacies offer vaccinations. As part of offering this service, pharmacy contractors are expected to recognise and treat anaphylaxis. They must have immediate access to an anaphylaxis pack, including adrenaline. They are required to undertake training to administer adrenaline from an ampoule using a needle and AAIs in case of anaphylactic reactions.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring schools to (a) implement (i) individual healthcare plans for pupils at risk of anaphylaxis and (ii) other allergy policies and (b) provide regular staff training on allergy management.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
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. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.
Statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, recommends the use of individual healthcare plans as good practice. They can help schools support pupils with medical conditions, providing clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom. The school, healthcare professionals and parents should agree, based on evidence, when a healthcare plan would be appropriate. ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’ can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ce6a72e40f0b620a103bd53/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions.pdf.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to work with relevant authorities to reduce the number of allergy related deaths in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department works with various other Government departments, agencies, and other organisations to improve allergy care and outcomes and, ultimately, to reduce the number of allergy related deaths, including for people in Romford constituency.
The Expert Advisory Group on Allergy (EAGA) is jointly chaired by the Department, and includes representation from NHS England, relevant Government departments and agencies, and professional organisations and patient groups. The EAGA's purpose is to identify priority areas for policy change and development related to allergy care, and to advise on how to achieve improved outcomes for people with allergies. This includes identifying areas for the Department, NHS England, and other Government departments and agencies to focus attention on.
Outside the EAGA, the Department collaborates with other Government departments and agencies on allergy policy to address the wide-ranging impact of allergies that can extend beyond healthcare to areas like education and food safety. This includes work with the Department for Education to ensure that schools have appropriate measures in place to support pupils with allergies, and with the Food Standards Agency to ensure that individuals with food allergies have access to safe food and are well-informed about potential allergens in the food they consume.
This cross-Departmental approach is essential for developing comprehensive strategies that address the various challenges presented by allergies, including prevention, management, and the impact on individuals' quality of life.
Asked by: David Smith (Labour - North Northumberland)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking (a) to ensure the provision of Pfizer vaccines to people who cannot take Moderna and (b) with ICBs which have insufficient supplies of the Pfizer vaccine in North Northumberland constituency.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) procures vaccines that have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and are advised for use in COVID-19 booster programmes by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The make-up of vaccine availability can vary from campaign to campaign based on the latest JCVI and clinical advice and procured stock available.
Published advice in the COVID-19 Green book, chapter 14a recommends that those with known contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination should seek advice from a relevant specialist. This may include an allergy specialist, who can make a clinical assessment of the individual's risks and benefits of vaccination. If suitable, these individuals may be advised to be vaccinated in hospital under medical supervision.
During the 2025 Spring COVID-19 vaccination campaign, UKHSA did not receive any reports of supply issues in North Northumberland.
Vaccine deployment is managed by NHS England which works with the regional teams and integrated care boards to ensure the vaccine is readily available for those eligible, as per the JCVI advice. UKHSA has worked and continues to work with all deployment partners to ensure the supply and provision of vaccines.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with relevant professional bodies on the (a) clinical management and (b) treatment of hay fever.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
No recent discussions have taken place on the clinical management and treatment of hay fever specifically, however, as part of the Expert Advisory Group for Allergy, Department policy officials meet regularly with the National Allergy Strategy Group, which includes the professional body, the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The most recent meeting was in April 2025.
The Expert Advisory Group for Allergy, which was established in 2023, is co-chaired by the Department and the National Allergy Strategy Group, and brings stakeholders together to inform policymaking and to identify key priorities in relation to the holistic care of people with allergies, including those with hay fever. The National Allergy Strategy Group is developing the UK National Allergy Strategy 2025-2035. The Department will carefully consider, and respond to, recommendations in the strategy when we receive it later this year.
Asked by: Amanda Hack (Labour - North West Leicestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of Reports to Prevent Future Deaths on (a) allergy (i) management and (ii) emergency response in schools and (b) other allergy policies.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
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. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.
The department has included reminders to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin. The department has also recently alerted schools to external resources from trusted allergy organisations. This includes the Schools Allergy Code, developed by The Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, and Allergy School created by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce a public health campaign on allergy awareness in children.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
To help promote awareness of allergies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published guidance on a range of allergy conditions, including food allergy in people under the age of 19 years old, anaphylaxis and drug allergy. NICE promotes its guidance via its website, newsletters and other media.
In June 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), with the support of allergy awareness advocates, launched a safety campaign to raise awareness of anaphylaxis and provide advice on the use of adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs). MHRA produced a toolkit of resources for health and social care professionals to support the safe and effective use of AAIs.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) encourages food businesses to complete the FSA’s allergen e-learning course and recommends that it is retaken annually to refresh knowledge and ensure that businesses are up to date on any changes which may have occurred. The FSA online training is free and offers practical advice to anyone wanting to learn more about food allergy.
Section 100 of The Children and Families Act 2014 places a legal duty on schools to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions, including allergies. The Department for Education recently reminded schools of their legal duties in their regular schools’ email bulletin, and also alerted schools to the newly created Schools Allergy Code, developed by The Allergy Team, the Independent Schools' Bursars Association and the Benedict Blythe Foundation. The Department for Education has now also added a link to the Code to their online allergy guidance on GOV.UK, which is available at the following link:
Asked by: James Frith (Labour - Bury North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of children withdrawn from mainstream education due to allergy-related safety concerns in schools in the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department does not hold this data.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations on staff training made in Prevention of Future Deaths reports in the case of (a) Mohammed Ismaeel Ashraf, (b) Karanbir Cheema and (c) Nasar Ahmed.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
In these three tragic cases the coroners found that a lack of understanding of the pupils’ allergies and the correct way to respond to an allergic reaction may have contributed to their deaths. 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. This includes the duty under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, and the duties under the Equality Act 2010.
The department has included reminders to schools of these duties in its regular schools’ email bulletin, including issues in March 2024, September 2024 and March 2025. We have also recently alerted schools to external resources from trusted allergy organisations. This includes the Schools Allergy Code, which was developed by the Allergy Team, Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA) and the Benedict Blythe Foundation, and Allergy School created by the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.