The World Health Organisation has described allergic disease as a “modern epidemic” while Allergy UK estimates that up to 21 million people in the UK are affected by allergies. 

Not only do they have obvious health effects, but allergies can also have a detrimental impact on people’s quality of life, by making social interactions such as eating out or going to work a major health risk.  Allergies can be complex, meaning people can suffer several disorders, each triggered by different allergies. 

The online petition calling for the appointment of an allergy tsar has been signed by over 19,000 people, and the National Allergy Strategy Group and the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Allergy have raised similar concerns about allergy services.  An allergy tsar would ensure that an advocate for people with allergies would always have a place in Government and not allow them to be left out of policy considerations.

I pay tribute to the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF) and the Anaphylaxis Campaign for their tireless efforts to improve healthcare for people living with allergies.  I commend NARF, in particular, for its successful campaign to change the law to require food retailers to display full ingredient and allergen labelling on food.  The allergy tsar campaign is just the latest example of their important advocacy work. 

In the past, the Government has said that it has no plans to appoint an allergy tsar.  Nevertheless, I have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, and asked him to reconsider the points raised by NARF and others.  I have posted a copy of this letter below for you to see.

More broadly, I believe that there must be interdisciplinary, patient-focused services across healthcare to ensure that those living with long-term conditions can access the care they need.  Health and care must become more joined-up, more accessible, more personal and more preventive.