New allergy training initiative for North East schools

Anaphylaxis UK is delighted to be working with NHS Trusts in Gateshead & Newcastle-upon-Tyne on their BeatAnaphylaxis course for schools in the North East. 

BeatAnaphylaxis is an initiative designed and led by Dr Andrew Bright, a consultant paediatrician with specialist training in allergy who works at Gateshead and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The BeatAnaphylaxis-Friendly Schools Project aims to provide training for primary schools in the North East region that ensures children with allergies are properly supported by knowledgeable staff. 

Dr Bright identified a need for high quality training in schools through his clinical work. He found that parents/carers did not always feel able to proactively engage with schools in order to ensure that their children were safe following diagnosis and that the school uptake of training was lower than it needed to be.  There are 13 amazing primary schools in this region participating in the project, meaning over 3500 pupils will benefit from this programme, which aims to standardise approaches to allergy awareness and staff training.

The web-based course from BeatAnaphylaxis aims to equip staff with the essential knowledge they need, not only to support children in an emergency, but also to prevent allergic reactions in the first place. The course enables the user to learn about the signs and symptoms of allergy and anaphylaxis and helps staff to understand the devastating impact anaphylaxis can have on the child and their family.  Importantly, BeatAnaphylaxis recognises the link between allergy and asthma, helping staff to understand that reactions can be more severe when children’s asthma is unstable. 

The course culminates with case studies that enable staff to put their learning into practice.  Anaphylaxis UK are supporting the pilot project with visits to schools where this learning can be demonstrated, tested and where the students will have face to face awareness sessions.

The pilot project would not have come into existence without the support of BeatAnaphylaxis’ passionate partners across the education, healthcare, industry and charitable sectors who have made this project possible through funding or specialist support to fund and create the course.