From September 2026, all schools in England will be required to stock adrenaline auto-injectors, known as allergy pens, under new statutory guidance published on Monday. The landmark measures also mandate allergy training for teachers and require every school to maintain clear allergy policies and healthcare plans.
Benedict's Law: A Turning Point for Allergy Safety
The changes are the result of tireless campaigning by Helen and Peter Blythe, whose five-year-old son Benedict died from a fatal anaphylactic reaction to cow's milk at school in 2021. Helen Blythe, co-founder of the Benedict Blythe Foundation, said: "This week marks a historic turning point for children with allergies and their families. For too long, whether a child was safe at school depended on where they happened to go."
Education Minister Olivia Bailey said: "Every child deserves to feel safe and included, but too many families have had to fight for basic protections that should simply be there. Today marks a significant moment for children with allergies and their families across the country - with Benedict's Law making sure that every school has the training, plans and equipment needed to keep every child safe."
Consistent Nationwide Standards
Ministers said the guidance will ensure consistent nationwide standards, so every school has the training, healthcare plans, and adrenaline devices needed. Sarah Knight, chief executive of the Allergy Team, said: "As a parent of two school-aged children with allergies and co-founder of The Allergy Team, I know how much trust families place in schools every day. This guidance is an important step forward, giving schools greater clarity about how they can better protect children with allergies."
Concerns Over Funding and Supply
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the guidance but raised concerns about staffing capacity and funding. He said expecting schools to stock spare adrenaline auto-injectors is a "sensible step" but added: "However, the government needs to be confident that there are sufficient stocks maintained across the country to ensure each setting can keep a sufficient share of adrenaline auto-injectors."
Whiteman also highlighted logistical challenges: "In addition to their safe storage and ease of access, schools will need processes for ensuring adrenaline auto-injectors are discarded safely and re-ordered when they expire, so this needs to be carefully managed by central government." He warned that if schools cannot access auto-injectors due to limited stock, the government must step in to source legitimate suppliers.
Background and Implementation
The draft guidance was outlined in March 2026 before a consultation was launched. The final version will take effect in September 2026, ensuring all schools are equipped to respond to allergic emergencies.
