Policy calls for allergy specialist nurses and dieticians and a National Allergy Register 

Simone Miles, Allergy UK Chief Executive, explains how Allergy UK policy calls for allergy specialist nurses and dieticians in all ICBs and for a National Allergy Register have been discussed in the very heart of Parliamentary democracy and how we will continue to press for change. 

In December, Allergy UK was grateful to hear Baroness Ramsey raise a key question to the government in the House of Lords. Asking about access to needle-free emergency adrenaline, the Baroness asked about the NHS roll-out of the new adrenaline nasal spray, EURneffy, launched in 2025.   

Following her question, the Government’s representative, Baroness Merron, confirmed that the provision of needle-free adrenaline is in the hands of local prescribing committees, which provide advice to integrated care systems and that she would “seek a view from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to see if it is considering developing guidance in this area.”  

Many other peers raised their concerns about wider allergy care. Baroness Finlay, a member of the Allergy All Party Parliamentary group, raised the serious issues highlighted by Allergy UK’s recent Freedom of Information request to England’s Integrated Care Boards, asking the government whether it would use “the opportunity of the single patient record to provide guidance to Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) for commissioning, to make sure that those who have serious allergies…can get the advice and support they need?”  

Lord Scriven, the Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson, asked about access to specialist allergy nurses and Allergy UK’s FOI data, going on to ask the Minister whether she would commit to embedding a National Allergy Register within the Single Patient Record.   

In the short debate that followed, the answers given by Baroness Merron shone a light on the current thinking of the Department of Health and Social Care. Baroness Merron agreed that the Single Patient Record represented a key opportunity,especially  around providing allergy advice to patients and ensuring that ICBs are given appropriate guidance in commissioning allergy services.   

Further, she agreed to take away the suggestion for embedding the National Allergy Register within the Single Patient Record, which represents a promising step forward.   

We also learned that training a capable workforce with specialist skills, including allergy, will be part of the government’s ongoing consideration, especially in the upcoming workforce plan. While more work remains to be done, the commitments from Baroness Merron represent a step forward for the allergy community and we remain committed to ensuring these pledges are fulfilled.  

It was hugely encouraging to hear our policy calls, for allergy specialist nurses and dieticians in all ICBs and for a National Allergy Register, discussed in the very heart of Parliamentary democracy. With awareness of the dire state of allergy care growing, the calls for change have never been louder and we are deeply grateful to the Peers who spoke.  

Allergy UK continues to reach out to political stakeholders across Parliament, sharing the stories of people who’ve experienced the system and its failings and advocating for a better and fairer future for the allergic community.