Bedford Allergy Support Group

Royal Society of Medicine, London 20th October 2008.

Brief report and comments from Mrs. Franca Garrick, Co-Chair and Secretary, B.A.S.G.

I attended this meeting and, as the programme shows, there were many well known speakers on the “stage” with patients sharing information and experiences. A sincere “thank you” to the Royal Society of Medicine for organising such a useful and interesting day.

It was great to find out that Dr. Pam Ewan and Dr. Shuabi Nasser, from the Allergy Clinic Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, have both joined efforts with patients’ groups to get a regional Allergy Centre. We know that Dr. Pam Ewan has also joined a list of eminent clinical professionals to encourage the Government to get allergy services sorted out soon.

Professor Barry Kay told us of the Sublingual Immunotherapy treatment for allergies which has been well known in Europe for sometime now. When questioned why Great Britain is so far behind Europe, we were told that unfortunately many drug companies, in this country, had delayed this treatment development. A very striking realisation. I personally have been on the Sublingual Immune Therapy since 1986 and others as well thanks to Dr. Jean Monro from Breakespear Hospital. The treatment is available on the N.H.S. if the G.P. agrees the prescribe it; the testing is not on the N.H.S. Unfortunately not many people know about this, not many G.Ps would prescribe it and some patients might not afford the cost of testing.

Another striking realisation was that people that suffer from allergies, especially children suffering from anaphylaxis and carers don’t seem to get the right advice and support from anyone.

Unfortunately, it’s very sad to say that, in spite of the House of Commons Health Committee first report 2003-04 and the latest House of Lords report on allergy, various government response to the reports, patients and carers seem to be at the same point of B.A.S.G’s founders who started the group in the eighties. There are now 1/3 of people with allergies, 1/5 children.

Mrs. Mandy East, National Allergy Strategic Groups, told that £1 billion a year is spent by the N.H.S. to treat allergy “symptoms” and the is 11% of the country drug costs. A question was asked; Shouldn’t £1 billion be spent more effectively now? This was considered by the panel as an interesting question!

Isn’t it time then, that someone, somewhere should stop such a waste of N.H.S. resources and set up prompt, interim national measures such as Regional Centres, GPs and Practice Nurses fast training to tackle the ever increasing allrgy problems, while the service is fully developed use funds more effectivly.

Neglect of allergies can cause more problems.

Can we really afford to waste funds with bigger bills now?

Franca Garrick