Statement regarding the inquest of Hannah Jacobs

Anaphylaxis UK offer their condolences to the family and friends of Hannah Jacobs who sadly passed away following anaphylaxis due to a severe dairy allergy in February 2023 after taking a sip of a Costa Coffee hot chocolate.

The inquest into Hannah’s death ended on Friday 16 August 2024 with a narrative conclusion welcomed by Hannah’s family.

The assistant coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said there had been a “failure of communication” between Hannah’s mother and the coffee shop staff, which led to hot chocolate that was made with cows’ milk instead of soya milk being served.

Dr Radcliffe said: “The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies with customers combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista.”

The coroner also emphasised the importance of carrying prescribed Adrenaline Auto-Injectors (AAIs) at all times.

Hannah’s family welcomed the coroner’s decision to write to government departments to consider the practicalities of children with allergies carrying adrenaline when travelling to and from school, and called on the Department of Health to provide further education to the general public, medical professionals and businesses on managing allergic reactions which require adrenaline.

For more information and advice on managing day-to-day life with a serious allergy, please take a look at the free resources on our website :

Living with Serious Allergies – a wealth of information to help those living with serious allergies to plan for different experiences, including travel, shopping/food preparation and eating out, and changing life stages such as going to university and starting work.

Safer Schools Programme – Information and resources to support schools in developing best practice policies and procedures to ensure children with allergies are managed safely.

‘Reducing the Risk of Allergic Reactions’ – an essential guide, authored by leading experts, for anyone seeking to understand and mitigate the risks associated with allergic reactions.

Alternatively, if you have concerns or questions about anaphylaxis or serious allergies, please remember that our helpline is open Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm.