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Understanding a new medical condition can be overwhelming, and navigating the process of seeking diagnosis and specialist care can feel complex. That’s why Allergy UK have created the Allergy Self-Help Hub. It’s your first stop for understanding allergies, preparing for the journey ahead, and equipping yourself with the tools and knowledge to navigate the process. With these resources, you’ll be ready to make the most of your interactions with healthcare professionals and ensure you get the support and treatment you need.

The National Allergy Strategy represents the first coordinated UK‑wide framework for improving allergy prevention, diagnosis, management and patient safety. It has been shaped through extensive consultation across the allergy community, including clinicians, patients and charities, and reflects both lived experience and frontline clinical realities. The strategy outlines the key objectives and priority projects needed to improve health outcomes and other unmet needs of the allergy community across the UK. The National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) is an alliance of the professional organisations BSACI (British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology) and the patient charities, Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK and Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF). Intended outcomes Reduced preventable harm, including fewer avoidable deaths and severe allergic reactions, through safer environments and earlier, more consistent intervention. Improved health outcomes and quality of life for people living with allergic disease, with greater safety, inclusion and confidence in everyday life. Reduced health and social inequalities, ensuring protection, access to care and quality of support do not depend on geography, background or individual advocacy. Equitable access to high-quality, lifelong allergy care across all four nations, supported by consistent standards, safer transitions between services, and timely access to effective treatments. A sustainable, skilled workforce and system capability, with allergy embedded in service planning, professional education and community provision to meet growing need. Better value for money for the NHS and wider public services, achieved through prevention, early intervention, improved data and surveillance, and more efficient use of resources. Further reading on the hub: Reducing the risk of your child having a serious allergic reaction: Parent and carer leaflet Why allergies are the Cinderella service of the NHS – a blog by Tim McLachlan

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. 

This national patient safety alert has been issued by the NHS England National Patient Safety team. This alert is for action by acute, community and mental health providers, health and justice services, primary care including nursing and care homes, general practice and community pharmacy. All actions should be completed as soon as possible but no later than 20 November 2026. This alert has been issued in response to concerns of patients with penicillin allergies being incorrectly recorded as a penicillamine allergies in electronic prescribing systems. This creates a risk of a patient with a known penicillin allergy being administered a penicillin-based antibiotic and having a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction. The risk of this error is not specific to any one electronic prescribing system. Actions required At health system level Primary and secondary care organisations should form a working group across an appropriate geographical area, chaired by an appropriate chief clinical information officer, to co-ordinate implementation of the following actions: Identify patients recorded as having a penicillamine allergy by running a report in relevant digital systems in primary and secondary care. Clinically review the accuracy of the allergy status and amend accordingly. Ensure allergy records in electronic prescribing and related digital systems that record allergy status are updated. To prevent reoccurrence: Secondary care organisations should ensure allergy guidance and training cover safe recording of allergy status in electronic prescribing systems and related digital healthcare systems, including the need to check and correct allergy status on admission and discharge. Primary care should implement additional checks when staff (especially non-clinical staff) input allergy status into GP systems, for example, consider the need for a clinical review if penicillamine is the stated allergen. All organisations should work with digital system suppliers and user groups to develop and deploy additional built-in mitigations to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent recording of the wrong allergy, such as adding alerts and modifying search terms. Organisations should prioritise the safe deployment of upgrades to their digital systems where suppliers have developed effective mitigations and safety features. The working group should strongly consider producing regular reports on allergy status until assurance has been gained that the issue is resolved.

Food allergy affects around 7-8% of children worldwide, or about two children in an average-sized classroom. As children spend at least 20% of their waking hours in school, it is not surprising that data show that 18% of food allergy reactions and 25% of first-time anaphylactic reactions occur at school. This report by the Benedict Blythe Foundations looks at the prevalence and seriousness of allergies in school-aged children, and the devastating consequences when things go wrong at school. The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the safety of children with food allergies in UK schools, including changes to the law. The report recommends: 1. Making it mandatory for all schools: to have an allergy policy, including an anaphylaxis plan for pupils with food allergies, an IHP and anaphylaxis action plan completed (and regularly updated) collaboratively by the child, parents/carers and school staff to hold spare AAIs that are in-date to implement training for school staff and teachers on allergies and anaphylaxis and a whole school allergy awareness approach 2. Government funding for the additional cost to schools for AAIs and training 3. DfE/FSA commissioned research into the effectiveness of approaches and interventions to optimise the preparedness of schools for preventing allergic reactions and managing anaphylaxis 4. Adherence to these measures to be checked as part of schools’ assessments by Ofsted

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to a range of high and low molecular weight agents that are allergic sensitisers or irritants, including cleaners and disinfectants, natural rubber latex, and various medications. Studies have shown that exposed HCWs are at risk for work-related rhinitis and asthma (WRA). Work-related rhinitis may precede development of WRA and should be considered as an early marker of WRA. Avoidance of causative exposures through control strategies such as elimination, substitution, engineering controls, and process modification is the preferred primary prevention strategy for preventing development of work-related allergic diseases. There is limited evidence for the effectiveness of respirators in preventing occupational asthma. If sensitizer-induced WRA is diagnosed, it is important to avoid further exposure to the causative agent, preferably by more rigorous application of exposure control strategies to the workplace. This review from Mazurek and Weissman focuses on allergic occupational respiratory diseases in HCWs.

This research article focuses on the patient safety aspects of handling and recognising allergic reactions and severe perioperative anaphylaxis, and discusses the basic approach of the allergic patient and of patients with a suspected allergy to perioperatively administered medication.

On 28 June 2017, 13 year-old Karanbir Cheemer was at school when another pupil threw a small piece of cheese at him. He was known to be allergic to cheese and he went into anaphylactic shock. Karanbir later died.  In this report, senior coroner ME Hassell, highlights a number of patient safety concerns relating to his death and calls for action to prevent future deaths.

Shanté Turay-Thomas, a young woman who had a nut allergy, died of an acute anaphylaxis after eating hazelnuts on 18 Spetember 2018. In this report, senior coroner ME Hassell, highlights 20 'matters of concern' surrounding her death and calls for action to be taken for future deaths to be prevented.

The latest issue of the Patient Safety Journal is now out.  US patient safety journal brought to you by the Patient Safety Authority, an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Each issue publishes original, peer-reviewed research and data analyses and also gives patients a voice. It's mission is to give clinicians, administrators and patients the information they need to prevent harm and improve safety.  Patient Safety - June 2023 Patient Safety - March 2023 Patient Safety - December 2022 Patient Safety - September 2022 Patient Safety - June 2022 Patient Safety - March 2022 Patient Safety - January 2022 Special Issue: Pharmacy Education and Practice Patient Safety - December 2021 Patient Safety - September 2021 Patient Safety - June 2021 Patient Safety - March 2021 Patient Safety-December 2020 Patient Safety - September 2020 Patient Safety Journal - June 2020 Patient Safety March 2020 Patient Safety - December 2019 Patient Safety - September 2019

This National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Pathway describes in an interactive flowchart the process of what to do next if someone has a possible drug allergy/reaction. 

This case study written by Matthew Doyle and published by PSNet, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, describes a case of a patient in the US who was given a drug they were allergic to, the implications of this and how to mitigate future events. Key take home messages A patient's drug allergy status should be checked and updated at all patient contacts with healthcare professionals. Recording suspected drug allergy in the patient record requires a minimum degree of detail including the reaction, the drug given, the time-frame of the reaction from initiation of the drug, and what drugs or drug groups to avoid. Both adverse drug reactions and drug allergies should be documented in the electronic patient record, separately if possible but together if not, and should not be removed from the record without consideration of and the involvement from the patient in the decision to remove it. Drug allergy status should be recorded on all written communication regarding the patient between health care professionals.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released updated guidance which says that healthcare professionals should now prescribe those people with severe allergies two Adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) when discharging patients from hospital, and patients should always carry two devices with them. This article from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) notes that the updated guidance came in response to the inquest into Shante Turay-Thomas, who died in north London just 18 years old, from anaphylaxis after eating hazelnut. The Coroner found that she had not been properly advised that the reason for carrying two AAIs was that in the event of a severe food allergy. A second dose of adrenaline can be a life preserving measure whilst waiting for emergency medical treatment. The coroner warned that action is needed to ensure that people with severe food allergies are aware that two AAIs must be carried at all times and they must be properly trained in how to use them. This would help to prevent further, avoidable deaths from severe food allergies. Follow the link below to read the full article from NARF. The full updated NICE guidance is also attached below.

The latest figures from NHS Digital show the number of hospital episodes in England with a primary diagnosis of anaphylaxis increased from 5,497 in 2018-19 to 5,517 in 2019-20. Previous figures have shown the number of cases of children hospitalised with severe allergic reactions in England has increased by 72 per cent over the last six years. Overall, including adults, there has been a 34 per cent rise in admissions over the same period. Figures from 2019 reveal wide regional differences among children admitted to hospital with anaphylaxis. The health region with the highest increase is London where the number of cases has risen by 167% from 180 in 2013-14 to 480 in 2018-19. Among those ten and under, the increase is a staggering 200 per cent.  Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) has renewed its call for the Government to appoint an ‘Allergy Tsar’ to co-ordinate and take steps to make sure people with allergies get the treatment and care they need.  NARF first called for the appointment of an ‘Allergy Tsar’ earlier this year following the inquest of Shante Turay-Thomas, 18, who died in 2018 from anaphylaxis after eating hazelnut.

There has been an increasing trend in commercially available diagnostic tests for food allergy and intolerance, but many of these tests lack an evidence base. In this article, Philippe Bégin from the University of Montreal describes the risks involved with using unproven diagnostic tests for food allergies and intolerances. He highlights that alongside their high cost, they may lead to false diagnoses, with associated anxiety and unnecessary strict avoidance diets. They may also lead truly allergic people to believe they are not allergic to certain foods, which could cause them to eat a food that gives them a life-threatening reaction. He also provides a list of tests that are offered to consumers, but that are unproven and should be avoided.