London Luton Airport installs life-saving ‘Anaphylaxis Kitts’

London Luton Airport (LLA) has become the first airport in the UK to install emergency anaphylaxis kits alongside staff training for severe allergic reactions, provided by startup company Kitt Medical.

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that happens very quickly and can be caused by food, medicine, insect stings or environmental factors. In the UK*, around 2.5 million people have a known allergy, and with thousands of staff, and millions of passengers passing through LLA each year, the introduction of the wall-mounted ‘Anaphylaxis Kitts’ is setting a new standard for emergency allergy care.

Designed to be visible and accessible, the Anaphylaxis Kitts have recently been installed across more than 10 key locations in LLA, including the Security Hall, the Departure Lounge, Immigration and Baggage Reclaim, providing quick and easy access to emergency allergy-related medical care when required.

All LLA staff are receiving mandatory training alongside the roll-out, with hundreds trained in the first few days alone. However, much like a defibrillator, the wall-mounted Kitts come with full instructions inside, making them easy to use in an emergency scenario.

The Anaphylaxis Kitts were purchased by LLA as they are a qualifying business with occupational health, in order to keep staff safe who are at risk of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). However, they can also be used to save a life in an emergency for any passenger or airport visitor who has a severe reaction.

Dan Cartwright, Head of Airfield Operations at London Luton Airport, commented: “London Luton Airport serves millions of passengers each year and our teams across the airport play a vital role in ensuring that everyone is safe. We’re proud to be the first UK airport to install Anaphylaxis Kitts. Initiatives such as this form a key part of our wider partnership with East of England Ambulance Service which sees LLA’s Fire and Rescue service trained to respond to the most serious medical emergencies within the airport boundary and ensures LLA staff are equipped with the skills to offer immediate medical support while waiting for ambulance crews to arrive.”

Zak Marks, Founder of Kitt Medical, commented: “As a young boy growing up with allergies – and still to this day as an adult, passing through an airport and flying can be one of the scariest things to do. Knowing that there are emergency adrenaline pens and trained staff as a result of our Anaphylaxis Kitt rollout across Luton Airport provides me – and I hope the millions of other allergy sufferers across the UK – with a great deal of comfort. I am immensely proud of what we have done here, and a huge thank you to David and the rest of the team at LLA for working so hard to put our Kitts in place.”

LLA Watch Manager, David Gardner, the medical lead for the airport’s co-responder scheme, and one of 10 UK Aviation Ambassadors appointed by the Department for Transport (DfT), has been central to the introduction of the Anaphylaxis Kitts at LLA, commenting: “This is a fantastic example of how London Luton Airport continues to seek new, innovative ways to further enhance the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and passengers. Our co-responder agreement with East of England Ambulance Service enabled us to identify this opportunity to support people living with allergies, as they travel through the airport. I’m proud to have worked with my colleagues across the airport and Kitt Medical to provide this additional level of care.”

Just like a defibrillator, but for allergies, Kitt Medical provide wall-mounted emergency Kitts, with a subscription supply of emergency adrenaline pens and online CPD-accredited training. Since launching in 2023, they’ve deployed 5,000+ Kitts to schools and qualifying businesses across the UK, training 65,000+ people and treating over 50 life-threatening allergic reactions.

To learn more about the Anaphylaxis Kitt Service go to www.kittmedical.com