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.