School staff 'failed' boy who died after allergic reaction

The parents of a teenager who died after suffering an allergic reaction to his school dinner have accused staff of failing their duty of care.

Nasar Ahmed was in an exclusion room with other pupils at Bow School in east London when he became unwell on November 10 last year.

His inquest heard that the 14-year-old, who had a history of severe asthma and food allergies, suffered a reaction to milk in his tandoori chicken lunch and went into anaphylactic shock.

But staff at the school failed to administer his EpiPen, which may have saved his life, the court was told. He died four days later in the Royal London Hospital.

Coroner Mary Hassell on Friday returned a narrative conclusion, saying: "The staff saw Nasar's EpiPen and considered using it, but did not.

"If the EpiPen had been used promptly and Nasar had been administered adrenaline, there is a possibility but not a probability that this would have changed the outcome."

Speaking outside the hearing at Poplar Coroner's Court, Nasar's mother Ferdousi Zaman told reporters: "If he has anaphylaxis I give him his EpiPen. They are first-aiders, they are more knowledgeable than me.

"They have failed their duty of care."