DOI: 10.24376/rd.sgul.20292489
title: UK Paediatric Allergy Services Survey

description: <strong>National Survey of United Kingdom Paediatric Allergy Services</strong> The survey was completed in two stages. In the first stage, the contact details of all 450 hospitals in the UK were found from online searches. Each hospital was contacted to establish whether the hospital provides a paediatric allergy service. If a paediatric allergy service is provided, the respondent was asked for the contact details of the person best placed to answer more detailed questions about the service. The 450 hospitals are part of 173 trusts. All 450 hospitals responded and 229 reported providing a paediatric allergy service. Some trusts provide paediatric allergy services in more than one hospital. The lead hospital was identified, resulting in 154 hospitals where the paediatric allergy service is principally provided (lead service) and 75 other hospitals where the service provided is linked to the provision in a lead hospital service (linked service). A detailed questionnaire was then sent to the lead hospitals. A copy of the questionnaire is included with the data. All 154 lead services seeing paediatric allergy patients nationally completed the survey between February 2019 and May 2020. The two last respondents completed their surveys after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and were asked to record the configuration of their service prior to any impact of the pandemic. Respondents were asked if they provide a secondary or tertiary allergy service or both. The terms were not further defined and interpretation was entirely at the discretion of the respondent. Responses were: 126 (82%) secondary only and 3 (2%) tertiary only and 25 (16%) secondary and tertiary level paediatric allergy care. For subsequent analyses, tertiary only and secondary and tertiary respondents were combined. Seventy one (46%) were providing paediatric allergy services in one or more other hospitals. The survey results were published in <em>Clinical & Experimental Allergy</em> and are available at https://doi.org/10.1111/cea.14198 <strong>Maps of UK paediatric allergy service provision</strong> Based on the questionnaire response data we have produced three interactive online maps showing the configuration, investigations and treatments undertaken by the 154 hospitals seeing paediatric allergy patients. The maps are intended for use by healthcare practitioners and the public. 1) <sub>UK Paediatric Allergy Services - Configuration</sub> The following layers are available for displaying on the map - Paediatric Allergy Services Lead Link - Allergy Network - Nurses undertaking Allergy Consultations. NB this refers to nurses undertaking paediatric allergy consultations (i.e. instead of a doctor) Not undertaken New & Follow up Consultations undertaken Follow up Consultations only undertaken New Consultations only undertaken - Dieticians undertaking Allergy Consultations. NB this refers to dieticians undertaking paediatric allergy consultations (i.e. instead of a doctor) - Dietician Support Dietician only sees patients by referral (i.e. not present in paediatric allergy clinics) Dietician present in some paediatric allergy clinics Dietician present in all paediatric allergy clinics No dietician service - Joint Clinic – Gastroenterology - Joint Clinic – Dermatology - Joint Clinic – Respiratory - Adolescent Clinic - Transition Clinic 2) <sub>UK Paediatric Allergy Services - Investigations</sub> The following layers are available for displaying on the map: - Specific IgE Tests - Skin Prick Tests - Component Resolved Diagnostic Testing - Macro Array Testing (ISAC/ALEX2) - Intradermal Testing - Patch Testing - Spirometry - Exhaled Nitric Oxide Testing - Challenges undertaken Food & Drug challenges undertaken Food challenges only No challenges undertaken - Anaesthetic Challenges undertaken Not undertaken Local & General anaesthetic challenges undertaken Local anaesthetic challenges only undertaken. 3) <sub>UK Paediatric Allergy Services - Treatments</sub> The following layers are available for displaying on the map - Immunotherapy undertaken None Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) only Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) and Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) Subcutaneous Immunotherapy (SCIT) only - Grass Immunotherapy - Tree Immunotherapy - House Dust Mite Immunotherapy - Pet Immunotherapy - Venom Desensitisation - Drug Desensitisation - Food Desensitisation - Omalizumab