Under consideration PE2288: Introduce measures to protect pupils with allergies
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to introduce mandatory allergy safety measures in all Scottish schools, including whole-school allergy policies, individual healthcare plans for pupils with allergies, staff training in allergy and anaphylaxis, and access to spare adrenaline auto-injectors.
Background information
Allergy is the most common chronic condition in children, affecting around two pupils in every Scottish classroom. Yet my FOI research found fewer than 1 in 20 Scottish schools had all four recommended allergy safeguards: 49% had no allergy policy, only 8% held spare adrenaline auto-injectors and nearly a third provided no allergy training. This leaves children dependent on where they go to school.
Since my previous petition, England has acted. Following the campaign for Benedict’s Law, schools in England now have statutory allergy guidance requiring stronger, consistent arrangements including allergy policies, staff training and individual healthcare planning.
Scottish children face the same allergies and the same risk of anaphylaxis. There is no reason they should receive less protection because of where in the UK they go to school. Scotland now has both the evidence of the problem and a workable model for change.
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