According to the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology’s Sixth Report, allergy in the UK has reached epidemic proportions. Today there are new and more complex allergies, many of which are life-threatening.
The report explains that allergies can seriously undermine quality of life for the sufferer, and can even be a cause of death in some cases. The treatment of allergic disorders costs the National Health Service a considerable amount of money, children’s education can be badly affected, as can adults’ functioning at work. The person who has an allergy carries the burden every day, while the economic and social costs spread throughout the whole country.
In the United Kingdom there is a chronic shortage of allergy specialists. Allergy clinical services have fallen far behind what is available in Western Europe, and have not been able to keep pace with the rising prevalence of allergy. Statistics are unclear and unreliable because of problems with the collection of data. As training is insufficient, a large proportion of GPs are not able to diagnose and manage allergic disorders effectively. Moreover, they do not have anywhere they can refer their patients with complex allergies to.
Further research is required so that public guidelines regarding exposure to some foods, such as peanuts, might be backed by clinically proven evidence. Current public information is poor as there is not enough evidence-based research on everyday factors which allergy sufferers may encounter, such as food labeling, housing conditions and treatments employed by complementary practitioners.
The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology has made a number of recommendations on allergy services:
— Allergy Centres should be set up
— These centres should be led by full-time allergists
— Various specialists who have an interest in allergy could join forces in these centres to treat patients with complex allergic disorders
— These centres would become a source of training for health care professionals at every grade
— These centres would be a driving force for research, where effective treatment could be developed, and should provide the clinical databases required for epidemiological studies.
— Scientists in the centres would work together with employers, charities, local schools, etc. to educate people, especially patients and their families
However, NHS allergy services form only a part of the story. The Committee has also made several recommendations which cover a broad range of issues:
— Clinical surveillance systems to monitor allergic disease should be maintained
— Further research should be done to find out how indoor environments affect the development of allergies
— How children who suffer from hayfever are supported all the way through the examination system should be reviewed
— An assessment needs to be made regarding the training received by teachers on how to deal with allergic emergencies
— Ways need to be found to help people with occupational allergies to return to work
— Alter food labeling legislation so that the quantity of allergens contained within products is clearly shown
— The costs and benefits of immunotherapy treatment needs to be carefully evaluated
— Advising pregnant women to avoid eating peanuts should be stopped
The Committee stresses that its recommendations must be underpinned by effective training and education of those involved at every level.
— Click here to see The Report in full
Written by: Christian Nordqvist