Allergy services 'lagging behind'

UK allergy care is poor and advice confusing leaving the country lagging behind western Europe, experts say. The House of Lords science and technology committee said there was an allergy epidemic. But the cross-party group warned there was not enough specialist services and food labelling was inadequate.

It also called for advice to pregnant women and young children not to eat peanuts to be withdrawn. The government said the findings would be considered. It comes after the Common's health committee criticised the lack of services in 2004.

The number of people suffering allergic reactions has trebled in the last 20 years with a third of the population estimated to suffer at some point in their lives. Each year over 6,000 people a year in England are admitted to hospital - a quarter of these with anaphylaxis which is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction involving breathing difficulties.

Allergic reactions are caused by substances in the environment known as allergens, of which the most common are pollen from trees and grasses, house dust mites, wasps, bees and food such as milk and eggs. Cases of asthma and skin disorders can also be allergy related.

The Lords report called for specialist allergy centres to be set up in each region similar to the models operating in Denmark and Germany. At the moment there are over 90 clinics, but only six are led by allergy consultants that can treat and diagnose the full range of conditions. The report said GPs and other health professionals had poor knowledge of allergies and recommended allergy training becomes a more important component of medical training.

The committee also heard evidence that abstaining from eating peanuts in pregnancy and in the early years may be increasing the risk of allergies developing and as a result called for a change to government guidance. The peers said food warnings - which commonly involve the catch-all term "may contain nuts" - need to be clearer with details of the specific amounts of allergen contained within the product. The report also called for better training for school staff to deal with allergies.

The government currently advises pregnant women and young children not to eat peanuts because of the risk of allergic reactions But the House of Lords committee said this should be withdrawn after hearing evidence from experts that abstaining may increase the risk of developing an allergy The Department of Health says the guidance is based on expert advice, but it will look at it after hearing form a Food Standards Agency allergen review

Committee chairman Baroness Finlay said: "We have a severe shortage of expert medical provision to deal with allergies. "The government must now take steps to deal with that problem."

Muriel Simmons, of the Allergy UK support group, welcomed the report, saying allergy services needed improving. But she added: "Similar recommendations were made in 2004, but there has been nothing in the last three years to suggest that the government is taking serious steps to ease the burden of allergy sufferers."

A Royal College of Physicians spokeswoman said: "A post-code lottery prevails."

The government said it was waiting to hear from a Food Standards Agency review before issuing updated guidance about eating peanuts. But Health Minister Ann Keen added the government would be considering the other recommendations of the report. She said allergy care had "firm foundations" with more than 90 allergy clinics operating in England and more money was being made available to increase specialist allergy training posts to build on that.