Senior councillors to discuss making EpiPens available in schools

Bruce Sinclair, Local democracy reporter

Plans for potentially life-saving EpiPens to become a part of school equipment will be discussed by senior councillors in the coming weeks.

In a notice of motion heard at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Independent Group leader Cllr Huw Murphy asked the council adopt a policy for EpiPens to become part of school first aid equipment.

Emergency adrenaline auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, are commonly used in the emergency treatment of Anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that can be life-threatening.

Cllr Murphy, in his notice of motion, asked that “Pembrokeshire County Council work with all schools to develop a policy where all schools hold EpiPens as part of their first aid equipment”.

It added: “PCC can negotiate on behalf of our schools with the suppliers of such equipment to achieve best value through bulk purchasing. The immediate availability of EpiPens in an emergency involving a pupil on school premises has the potential reduce the risk of a tragic outcome.

“As some background in relation to this NoM is that the April 2025 meeting of the Schools O&S Committee debated the subject of EpiPens.

“The current policy from Welsh Government states that it’s a matter for individual School Governing bodies to decide whether to stock EpiPens for use in an emergency should a pupil suffer anaphylactic shock, and should they wish to purchase EpiPens then each school does this on an individual basis.

“The Schools O&S Committee in April 2025 resolved to write to Welsh Government (WG) to highlight the EpiPens issue, which the Chair of the Schools O&S did. Since April 2025 the Schools O&S Committee have received no update from WG and a period of nearly eight months has elapsed.

“The safety and well-being of pupils is a matter of priority and in view of the lack of response (I would argue lamentably so) from WG I feel PCC should proceed to develop our own policy to ensure that every LA school in Pembrokeshire hold EpiPens for use in an emergency, hence this NoM.”

Members agreed Cllr Murphy’s notice be sent to the council’s Cabinet, whose next meeting takes place in 2026, for further consideration.