Allergy care 'totally inadequate'
30 June 2003

Allergies hit the headlines this week following a report revealing the inadequacy of the NHS in dealing with the rise and severity of allergic reactions among the UK population. A third of Britons now has an allergy, said the study from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), yet allergy services are 'totally inadequate', with only six clinics in the country offering a full-time allergy specialist.

Allergies are a complex issue and can cover asthma, eczema, rhinitis and hay fever, as well as a slew of 'new' life-threatening food allergies, such as reactions to peanuts, kiwi fruit, and avocados. The UK now has 18 million people with some form of allergy, but with only 100 dedicated clinics, most people are treated by GPs with no specialist training.

Professor Stephen Holgate, who chaired the working party, said: 'The UK is way behind in its capacity to provide adequate allergy services when compared to most countries in Europe, the US and Australasia.'

This is not news to the 5.1 million people in the UK who have asthma. Allergy is a major component in asthma, with a wide range of triggers that can bring on asthma symptoms. Triggers may include house dust mite, food, pollen, drugs and pets. However, in order for people to avoid their triggers they must first of all be able to identify them, and National Asthma Campaign surveys reveal a recurring demand from people with asthma for access to NHS allergy-testing services which currently are not widely available.

This can be especially crucial for parents of young children. Research has shown that children with mild food allergies that go unrecognised or untreated are five times more likely to develop asthma than those whose allergy is identified and treated.

A report by the Respiratory Alliance in January 2003, Bridging the Gap, identified the shortfall in NHS services for people with allergies and respiratory disease. For example, rhinitis is recognised as a risk factor in the development of asthma, and treatment of rhinitis has the potential to improve asthma symptoms. However, it is often missed by health professionals or not treated properly.

The prevalence of asthma has doubled over the last 20 years, which many scientists believe is a result of living in a more hygienic environment. Kate Webb, the Campaign's senior policy and information officer, said: 'Shielding young children from possible infections when very young may increase the risk of them developing allergies and asthma later in life.'

The RCP report calls for allergy centres to be set up in each NHS region to provide specialist expertise and training for patients and GPs and nurses; more consultant allergists to be appointed to work in these centres and in hospitals; more training posts to be funded; an improvement in GP education in allergy.

Ms Webb echoed the recommendations: 'We would like allergy testing and specialist treatment to be made widely available in primary care for people with asthma.'