Widening access to penicillin allergy assessment in the United Kingdom—a proposed implementation plan for the National Health Service (7 January 2026)

Summary

Globally, there is increasing evidence that incorrect penicillin allergy labels negatively affect patient outcomes, antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial resistance, leading to growing concern about this patient safety issue and how to resolve it. While many millions of patients worldwide have incorrect penicillin allergy labels, there are too few specialist allergists and a lack of ‘point-of-care’ tests to address this problem. Numerous research studies now provide evidence of the feasibility and importance of widening access to penicillin allergy assessment.

This article draws on a discussion between researchers from two UK-based studies (SPACE and ALABAMA), in collaboration with key stakeholders including patient representatives, on shaping a high-level implementation plan to facilitate widening access to penicillin allergy assessment in the UK. It describes the basis of the implementation plan and summarises the key actions required for successful delivery.