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A Review of Allergy Services in the UK
In 2000, Allergy UK, together with the professional organisation, the British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI), the Anaphylaxis Campaign and the Allergy Alliance, formed the National Allergy Strategy Group. Its remit was to lobby the government for increased and comprehensive improvements in the provision of allergy services.
Based on the extensive information and evidence gathered over 3 years, the Royal College of Physicians published a report “Allergy, The Unmet Need” in June 2003 with recommendations for the future provisions of allergy services in the UK. Inevitably, no Government money was forthcoming to fund the training for more regional allergy centres, allergists and support staff or for GPs and nurses. It was stated that the majority of allergic disease should be managed in primary care with severe or complex cases having quick access to the specialist centres.
Since then, the Department of Health has set up a National Allergy Advisory Group. These are stakeholders who gave information on the difficulties in providing allergy services and allergy sufferers who described the real effects of living with allergy and their experiences of mismanagement within the NHS.
A review panel is now gathering evidence of:
- What services really exist to help allergy sufferers in primary, secondary and voluntary sectors.
- Detail of wrong treatment, lack of recognition, lack of services, inadequate back-up.
- Stresses in living with allergy.
- Deaths associated with allergy.
All information is welcome and being presented by other parties suggested with personal experience. Allergy UK is represented by several sufferers with first hand experience of living with allergy, plus one of our staff and a nurse adviser. There is primary care representation to show that those few with the knowledge to provide allergy care, are thwarted by lack of funds, time and PCT foresight. Several all-day working meetings are being held to formulate how best to present to the government the inadequacies and what is really needed to activate a comprehensive and workable UK allergy service.
Allergy UK’s CEO, backed by the information staff, has worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. The Health Minister must have the full document upon which decisions will be made by June 2006. We will bring you more news as it happens.
Author: Maureen Jenkins, Allergy Nurse Practitioner/Trustee of Allergy UK - November 2005