Organisations defend record on allergies

NHS Tayside and Perth and Kinross Council have been accused of “complacency” over warning its staff and the general public about dangerous food allergies.

The Scottish Conservatives conducted research which showed 12 out of 14 health boards and 25 out of 32 councils in Scotland had not run any dedicated courses.

The party said in a press release PKC had told them it had ran no such courses in the last three years and NHS Tayside had said only 160 staff attended these kinds of courses over the same period.

However, a spokesperson for NHS Tayside said yesterday it had run 159 courses for staff regarding allergens since 2016 and not just for 160 people as had been claimed in the press release.

NHS Tayside’s head of catering Caroline McKenzie said:“Training on the current food regulations including allergens is provided to catering teams, nursing staff and other staff on an ongoing basis. When patients are admitted into hospital they are asked if they have any food allergies and the catering department will accommodate the patient’s specific dietary requirements. Patients are also provided with a leaflet explaining food and drink provision in hospital and the leaflet contains information about allergens.

“All NHS Tayside dining rooms display a notice which advises that allergen information can be provided if requested. In addition, pre-packed food and drink for sale in the dining rooms contains manufacturer allergen information on the packaging.

A PKC spokesperson added:“Over the last three years, PKC as provided 11 training courses on food safety management which have been attended by 220 members of staff. Food allergies are covered within these training courses.

“We take the risks associated with food allergies very seriously .”