The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reinforced its safety guidance on the steps to take in anaphylaxis.

The announcement comes as recent figures show more than 25,000 admissions to English hospitals for allergies and anaphylaxis in 2022-23. This number has more than doubled in the last 20 years.

Laura Squire, MHRA chief officer for healthcare quality and access, said: "These figures highlight just how serious the consequences of allergies can be, and the rising numbers of hospitalisations highlights the need to know how to act in an emergency.

"Knowing how to use an adrenaline auto-injector and what to do afterwards is crucial when responding in an emergency, whether you’re having the reaction yourself or helping someone else.

"Anaphylaxis is scary for everyone involved and when it strikes, it’s not easy to remember what the right steps are. That’s why we want to encourage everyone to download our guidance now so they can be confident they’re doing the right thing if they’re ever in that situation."

Miss Wales Millie-Mae Adams, medical student at the University of Exeter and Allergy Awareness Advocate, said: "I have been one of those people lying in a hospital bed after a severe allergic reaction and I know how terrifying it can be.

"These figures show that allergies are becoming more and more common, so it is vital that you know what to do if someone has a severe allergic reaction, even if you don’t have an allergy. It is all our responsibility.

"I want to encourage everyone to read the latest guidance and keep it with you, at work, out for dinner, on holiday, so that you are always prepared. It could save your life or someone else’s."

Image: AngelHM, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons