Allergic conditions: policy context

There is no specific Scottish policy document related to services for allergic conditions. In 2000, the Scottish Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee (SMASAC) published a review entitled Immunology and Allergy Services in Scotland. This made 23 recommendations relating to clinical and laboratory services, information availability, data collection, alternative treatments, education, training and research. Among other recommendations, the report called for an increase in the number of consultant immunology posts in Scotland. As at November 2005, progress on this report is being reviewed by SMASAC and a report will be published in 2006.

Two reports on allergy services may also be relevant to allergic conditions in Scotland.

In 2003, the Royal College of Physicians published Allergy: the unmet need.   (1 MB).  This called for the development of regional allergy centres, including at least one regional centre for Scotland.

In 2004, the House of Commons Health Committee published a report entitled 'The Provision of Allergy Services'. This focused on allergy services in England and Wales. The report made a number of recommendations, including the appointment of a lead clinician for allergy in each Primary Care Trust, the provision of a specialist allergy centre (with a minimum of two adult and two paediatric allergy consultants) for each area with a population of 5-7 million people, and in the long term the development of a consultant-led allergy service in each teaching hospital. The UK Department of Health subsequently published a Response (191 KB) to this report.