Missed Measures at Stamford School Linked to Tragic Allergy Death of Local Boy

The inquest into the tragic death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe from Stamford, Lincolnshire, has discovered that Barnack Primary School failed to follow all the necessary precautions in place prior to the fatality. The young boy, who had multiple allergies, tragically passed away after suffering an anaphylactic reaction to cow’s milk. This unfortunate incident occurred at his school in December 2021 and he was subsequently declared deceased at Peterborough City Hospital. The jury concluded that unintentional exposure to cow’s milk protein resulted in his untimely demise, with the response time in administering an adrenaline pen by school staff under question. Benedict’s mother, Helen Blythe, is advocating for the introduction of new legislation to mandate effective allergy management plans in schools. She holds the belief that her son’s death could have been averted and was a result of consecutive oversights. It was noted by the jury that there were previously missed opportunities for the school to learn from an earlier incident involving Benedict, where he was mistakenly served pizza. Despite having an established personal allergy action plan with his parents and the school, it was not adhered to leading to the deadly exposure. This inquest has shed light upon significant neglect in managing allergies, stirring demands for amendments to existing procedures and prevent such tragedies in future.