Why We Require Allergy Action Plans for Anaphylaxis
Keeping Children Safe: Health, Safety & Partnership
At Lasergaming Oxford, health and safety is at the heart of everything we do. We operate in a 50-acre woodland environment with nut trees, insects, and multiple allergens. Unlike controlled indoor spaces, we cannot eliminate exposure risks — but we can work with you to minimise them and respond effectively in an emergency.
We follow the latest best practices and guidance from:
The NHS
Anaphylaxis UK
Resuscitation Council UK
Allergy UK
RCPCH
BSACI
Our legal advisors and insurers
For children with anaphylaxis, the risks are particularly serious. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction with a high risk of fatality if not treated immediately with adrenaline. That’s why we require strict compliance with national medical guidance.
We are committed to doing our part — our staff are trained to follow your child’s Allergy Action Plan step by step and to act quickly in an emergency. But safety is a partnership. We rely on you to:
Provide the correct medical documentation,
Supply the prescribed medicines, and
Ensure the plan is current and clinician-signed.
Together, we can make sure your child is included, safe, and able to enjoy their experience with us.
This isn’t just our policy — it is standard issue according to national medical pathways and forms part of your child’s care plan if they have been diagnosed with anaphylaxis.
National Guidance
The NHS states: “Your specialist will give you an allergy management plan that will explain how to manage your allergy.” NHS – Allergies
The Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH) sets out the official Allergy Care Pathway for Anaphylaxis, which requires that every child at risk has:
a clinician-signed Allergy Action Plan,
two in-date adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), and
carers/teachers who know how to use them.
The leaflet Reducing the risk of your child having a serious allergic reaction (reviewed and endorsed by Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis UK, February 2023) states:
“Every child with an immediate-type food allergy should have an Allergy Action Plan with an up-to-date photo for home, school/nursery/childcare and any other carers. This plan will help you/them recognise an allergic reaction and treat it promptly. Allergy Action Plans can be downloaded from BSACI.org; if you don’t have one, ask your child’s health professional to complete one for you.” → BSACI Allergy Action Plans
Our Policy (Aligned with National Standards)
If your child has anaphylaxis or has been prescribed an AAI, you must provide a clinician-signed and dated Allergy Action Plan (signed by your GP, allergy consultant, paediatrician, or specialist nurse).
Your child must arrive with two in-date AAIs (matching the plan) and any other prescribed medication (such as an inhaler/spacer if asthmatic).
Parent-signed, incomplete, altered, or out-of-date plans cannot be accepted.
No Plan, No Play — without these, your child cannot participate.
These are not just our site rules. They are insurance requirements and national medical safety requirements, endorsed by the NHS, RCPCH, Resuscitation Council UK, BSACI, Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis UK.
🚫 No Plan, No Play — If the waiver, signed plan, and correct medication are not provided, your child cannot participate.
The Process for Anaphylactic Allergies
To keep your child safe, you must follow all three steps:
1. Sign the Additional Allergy Waiver
Complete the additional Allergy Waiver Form at least 24 hours before your session.
This is in addition to the main waiver.
2. Upload the Clinician-Signed Allergy Action Plan
Upload a valid, signed and dated Allergy Action Plan (GP, allergy consultant, paediatrician, or specialist nurse) at least 24 hours before your session via the secure waiver link.
The clinician’s name, address, and phone number must be clearly legible on the plan.
Parent-signed, incomplete, altered, or out-of-date plans cannot be accepted.
The plan must include:
The allergen(s) to avoid
Instructions for managing mild–moderate and severe reactions
The exact allergy trigger (e.g. peanuts, tree nuts, insect stings, latex, etc.)
The prescribed dosage and consent
A recent photo of the player
Confirmation that the plan is signed for the correct auto-injector brand and dose
If dosage/weight is listed, it must reflect the child’s current weight.
A hard copy of the Allergy Action Plan must also be brought on the day, as recommended by medical professionals, and kept with the auto-injectors.
3. On the Day: Bring the Required Medicines
Your child must arrive with:
Two in-date adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) (matching the brand and dose on the plan).
- The Auto-injectors are clearly labelled with the players name and are in their own carry bag
Any other prescribed medication (e.g. inhaler and spacer if asthmatic).
A hard copy of the Allergy Action Plan must also be brought on the day, as recommended by medical professionals, and kept with the auto-injectors.
What We Accept and What We Cannot Accept
✅ We accept:
A valid, clinician-signed and dated Allergy Action Plan (signed by a GP, allergy consultant, paediatrician, or specialist nurse)
A plan that clearly lists allergens, symptoms, and step-by-step treatment instructions
A plan that matches the medicines brought on the day (two in-date AAIs, inhaler/spacer if prescribed)
A plan with the clinician’s name, clinic details, and a recent photo of your child (if template provides one)
❌ We do not accept:
Parent-signed or self-completed forms
Blank or incomplete templates
Plans downloaded from the internet without a clinician’s signature
Out-of-date or altered documents
Medicines that don’t match the plan or are past expiry
Why this matters
You may feel we are being strict, but we are simply following national guidance, our insurance requirements and medical pathways from the NHS, RCPCH, Allergy UK, and Anaphylaxis UK. These safeguards are in place because anaphylaxis is severe and can be fatal if not managed correctly.
We understand that some parents may not currently have a plan because it was never provided, has been lost, or was missed at diagnosis. Unfortunately, that is not something we can fix on your behalf. You must contact your GP or allergy specialist to obtain a valid, clinician-signed Allergy Action Plan.
Without it, your child cannot take part — No Plan, No Play.
Zero Tolerance & Common Excuses
We know some parents feel our allergy policy is stricter than other venues. But this is because we are committed to following NHS, RCPCH, Allergy UK, and Anaphylaxis UK guidance, as well as our insurance requirements.
We often hear excuses such as:
“Other laser combat sites don’t ask for this.”
“The trampoline park never asked for this.”
“We’ve never been asked for this before.”
“My child has never had a reaction, so it’s fine.”
“We don’t have a plan — the hospital/GP never gave us one.”
Our Response
Other sites may not ask — but they should. Some businesses even budget for an “acceptable number of fatalities” each year. Not us. We are a family business working with children, and we would rather prevent a fatality than take risks that could cost a life.
This is an insurance requirement, national guidance and part of your child’s medical treatment plan. We cannot ignore it.
Anaphylaxis is unpredictable — the fact your child has never had a reaction before does not mean they are safe.
Anaphylaxis can be fatal. That’s why we take a proactive approach: requiring as per the NHS, a clinician-signed plan, two in-date AAIs, and full compliance with medical guidance.
If a plan was never provided, lost, or missed at diagnosis, you must contact your GP or allergy specialist to obtain one. We cannot accept parent-signed documents.
Zero Tolerance for Abuse
We will always treat families with respect, and we expect the same in return. Unfortunately, some parents respond with abuse when told about these requirements. We want to be absolutely clear:
🚫 We have a zero-tolerance policy for:
Shouting, swearing, or raising voices at staff
Aggressive or threatening behaviour, in person or by email/phone
Pressuring staff to “bend the rules” or make exceptions
Sending abusive, insulting, or intimidating emails or messages
This behaviour will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
If abuse occurs before your booking: your booking will be cancelled without refund.
If abuse occurs on-site: you and your group will be refused entry and asked to leave immediately with no refunds made.
Our team’s role is to protect your child and others by following national medical guidance. We will never apologise for preventing a fatality.
No Plan, No Play — no exceptions, no abuse.
Zero Tolerance for Unsafe or Misleading Information
We rely on parents to provide complete, accurate and consistent medical information so that we can keep children safe.
Parent-signed, incomplete, altered, or out-of-date plans cannot be accepted.
Where information provided is contradictory or inconsistent (for example, different versions of waiver forms stating different allergy details), we must always act on the highest risk information until a clinician provides formal confirmation otherwise.
Any attempt to provide false, altered, concealed, or misleading information about a child’s allergy status — whether on booking forms, waiver forms, allergy waivers, allergy action plans, or in later correspondence — will result in the child being permanently excluded from activities, regardless of whether paperwork is later resubmitted.
For safety, we must always act on the highest risk information provided. In the event of conflicting or contradictory information — including situations where a previously declared allergy is later denied — clarification must be obtained from a qualified medical professional. Only once formal written confirmation is received from a clinician can the allergy status be updated.
These safeguards are non-negotiable. They are in place to protect all children and to ensure we remain compliant with NHS, BSACI, RCPCH, Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK, and insurance requirements.
Abusive or intimidating behaviour towards our staff — whether in person, by phone, or by email — will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
No Plan, No Play — no exceptions, no abuse, no misleading information.
Helpful Resources for Parents
NHS – Allergies
General NHS information on allergies and what to expect in terms of diagnosis and care.
🔗 NHS – AllergiesRCPCH – Allergy Care Pathway for Anaphylaxis
The official clinical pathway setting out how children at risk of anaphylaxis should be managed.
🔗 RCPCH – Allergy Care Pathway for AnaphylaxisBSACI – Paediatric Allergy Action Plans
Download official, clinician-completed Allergy Action Plan templates for children.
🔗 BSACI Action PlansAllergy UK – Reducing the Risk of Serious Allergic Reactions
Parent/carer leaflet endorsed by Allergy UK & Anaphylaxis UK (Feb 2023). Explains why every child with an immediate-type food allergy should have an action plan.
🔗 Allergy UK ResourcesAnaphylaxis UK – Parent Resources
Guidance, helplines, and practical advice for managing allergies in schools, activities, and day-to-day life.
🔗 Anaphylaxis UK – For ParentsHow to Use an Auto-Injector (Training Videos)
Official trainer videos for the three UK brands:
