The National Allergy Strategy Group has published a UK wide framework for improving allergy prevention, diagnosis, management and patient safety.
The strategy been shaped through extensive consultation with 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).
Immunologists are central to the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, yet the workforce remains fragile. A quarter of services are reliant on a single consultant, leaving them highly vulnerable and placing unsustainable pressure on individual clinicians. The College Clinical Immunology Workforce Report – released in September 2025 – found that demand for immunology and allergy tests is rising, on average, by 11% per year, without coupled workforce increases. The UK requires at least 44% more consultant immunologists (an additional 52 posts) to meet current demand.
The College supports NASG in delivering its recommendations, which represent an important step towards ensuring that people affected by allergies have access to services essential for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Patrick Yong, Chair of the Royal College of Pathologists’ Immunology Speciality Advisory Committee said:
‘We welcome the ambition of the National Allergy Strategy report, including building a sustainable, skilled workforce to meet growing demand. Urgent action is needed to deliver it.
The UK has one of the highest rates of allergic disease in the world with over a third of people living with allergies. Immunologists play a vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, yet three quarters of immunology services do not have enough staff to meet clinical demand. As allergies become more severe and complex, patients are facing longer waits for diagnosis and treatment driving widening health inequalities. This lack of access to services can also have serious consequences, with people buying unvalidated tests, such as food intolerance tests.
The College has concerns about quality and regulation, as there can be significant risks to people when poor quality tests are carried out. People may be given false reassurance or face unnecessary worry. There are often knock on consequences for the NHS to repeat tests or take additional action. Improved regulatory oversight and clearer standards to ensure the safety and reliability of self-tests available on the UK market need to be introduced.'
Dr Yong added:
‘We need more training posts, protected time for consultants to train the workforce, and better support to retain staff. Without this, people with allergies will continue to miss out on the vital care they need and deserve.’
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