INTRODUCTION
Allergic diseases are estimated to affect approximately 25-30% of the
European population and are regarded as a major public health concern
(1). Hospital admission rates for anaphylaxis increased by 72% in the
last 5 years for those ≤18yrs (2).The extent to which allergy
debilitates individual patients, families and society as a whole is
often overlooked by those unaffected (3).
Up to 20% of anaphylaxis cases occur within school grounds and of
these, 1 in 4 occurs in pupils not previously deemed at risk (4, 5).
Previously, we reported that school preparedness for anaphylaxis was
below the safety standards set by the Department for Education at that
time (6), and those recommended by the European Academy of Allergy and
Clinical Immunology (1, 7). These findings coincide with previous
international research (8-11).
When surveyed, school staff expressed a desire for training and a
preference for face to a face-to-face format (7). This type of training
has been shown to elicit a more efficient response to an anaphylaxis
scenario, compared with online training (12) and to be effective at
improving school staff awareness and knowledge of allergic diseases
(13-16). In comparison, the effect of training on whole school
preparedness in the overall management of the severely allergic child
and triggering policy review has rarely been studied (17, 18).
UK schools have a statutory duty of care for children with medical
needs, for which the Department for Education has published robust
guidance (6). However, the implementation of the recommended safety
measures at school is suboptimal. Gaps in the current management of
pupils with severe allergies has led to call for action from a
legislative perspective (19).
This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of a face-to-face training
programme for schools in England, on school’s self-reported preparedness
in managing the needs of the severely allergic child. It also
investigated whether the delivery of the training programme stimulated
an allergy policy review within the school and a change in attitude
towards the management of such pupils.