Inquest into Benedict Blythe from Stamford questions care given at Barnack Primary School and by doctors

Questions have been raised at a young boy’s inquest about the care he was given through his school and the NHS.

On the first day of a hearing to ascertain the circumstances of Benedict Blythe’s death, his mother Helen spoke of having thought her five-year-old son, who had joined Barnack Primary School three months earlier, was on a personalised school meals menu due to several food allergies.

But she told the jury of the inquest at Peterborough Town Hall on Monday (June 30): “As far as I’m aware the school never developed a personalised menu.”

Mrs Blythe also passed on to the school what she described as a ‘download’ of information about her son’s previous allergic reactions, triggers and symptoms, which included cows’ milk and eggs.

But she suggested this was not used as she had assumed it would be, to create a personalised plan for Benedict while he was in the school’s care.

Staff from Barnack Primary School, including the headteacher and executive headteacher, are due to give their evidence to the hearing over the next few days.

Benedict died from anaphylaxis on December 1, 2021 after suffering a severe allergic reaction at Barnack Primary School. The cause of the reaction has not been determined.

Benedict went outside with friends for morning break, ate a McVitie’s gingerbread biscuit that he had brought from home, and was given an oat milk drink by a member of school staff, which the jury was told he did not consume.

He began vomiting and collapsed, and despite the use of two adrenaline auto-injector pens administered by a teaching assistant, CPR given by staff and his father, and the attendance of ambulance crews, he was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.

According to a post mortem examination, Benedict’s cause of death was food-induced anaphylaxis - a severe allergic reaction.

A meeting of school staff, medics and emergency workers held shortly after his death determined there were ‘no lessons to learn’ from what had happened, and a doctor who was familiar with Benedict said school staff had been praised at the meeting for their CPR response.

Benedict’s parents, who live in Stamford, had said they chose Barnack Primary School for Benedict because they had felt reassured during visits to the school that school staff were knowledgeable about allergy management.

The inquest heard that Benedict had been diagnosed with asthma and several allergies before joining school, and that he had attended hospital and clinics on regular occasions due to his symptoms.

Dr Emilia Wawrzkowitcz, a consultant paediatrician at Peterborough City Hospital, saw Benedict at her allergy clinics and was familiar with his needs. She told the jury she felt his medication, which included ‘preventer’ and ‘reliever’ inhalers, should have been increased to better control his asthma, but despite her recommendation this was not actioned by NHS colleagues.

As well as Barnack Primary School staff, paramedics and representatives from the snack-food company Pladis will give evidence at the inquest over the coming week.