Peers pass key Benedict’s Law amendment as Government commits to mandatory allergy guidance, improving protections for children vulnerable to anaphylaxis.
Benedict’s Law took a major step forwards yesterday as House of Lords peers debated and passed a landmark amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, strengthening protections for children with allergies in schools.
The move comes as the Government confirmed it will consult on and publish new mandatory statutory guidance for schools on managing medical conditions and allergies, following widespread cross-party and sector support for the campaign.
Jacqui Smith, Baroness Smith of Malvern, announced the commitment during the Lords debate on 3 February 2026, with Minister Bailey and the Department for Education leading the work.
Campaigners say the measures – including access to emergency medication, staff training and clear school allergy policies – mark a major breakthrough after years of inconsistent protection for pupils at risk of anaphylaxis. However, they stress that placing these safeguards into law remains essential to ensure they are implemented in every school.
Helen Blythe, Benedict’s mother, said:
We are excited that the campaign for Benedict’s Law has taken a huge step forward. We are pleased that the Government has brought forward this guidance in response to the clear and widespread support for our amendment in the Lords.
After a decade of work by clinicians and allergy charities calling for the same life-saving measures, we’re at the stage of being able to say that Benedict’s Law is on its way, with two clear paths to take us there. To have this in place to protect pupils like our son would be a real legacy to Benedict.”
The story behind Benedict’s Law
Benedict’s Law is named in memory of five-year-old Benedict Blythe, who died from anaphylaxis at school in 2021. Since then, his family has worked with allergy charities, clinicians and patient groups across the UK to press for urgent reforms.
For more than a decade, the allergy community has called for evidence-based protections such as spare adrenaline auto-injectors, comprehensive staff training and clear allergy policies supported by individual care plans. Until now, these safeguards have remained optional, leaving families facing uneven levels of protection.
What the Lords amendment would require
Childhood allergies affect hundreds of thousands of children in England, and clinicians warn that delays in recognising symptoms, lack of training and inconsistent access to medication remain critical risks.
The amendment approved by The House of Lords would place a legal duty on schools to:
- Hold accessible spare adrenaline auto-injectors
- Ensure staff receive allergy awareness and emergency response training
- Implement individual allergy action plans
- Adopt and publish a whole-school allergy policy.
The amendment will now return to the House of Commons for consideration.
Campaigners welcome progress but push for law
Allergy organisations praised the Government’s move, but stressed that legislation remains the only way to guarantee consistent protection for every child.
Professor Adam Fox OBE, Chair of the National Allergy Strategy Group, said:
At long last, we are seeing real progress around keeping children with allergies safer in school. Change has been needed urgently for many years to prevent further unnecessary deaths.
This incredible progress after so many years of campaigning is a huge testament to the work of the Benedict Blythe Foundation, whose activism has built on many years of work by allergy charities including Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK and the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation together with healthcare professionals at the British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology.
It has been truly inspiring to see the whole allergy community come together behind this cause and achieve real change.”
With both statutory guidance and legislative action now on the table, campaigners say England is closer than ever to delivering Benedict’s Law and preventing avoidable tragedies in schools.
