MP Jon Cruddas speaks about the national allergy crisis at UK’s largest Allergy Conference

Labour MP, Jon Cruddas, joins the programme for the UK’s largest allergy meeting for healthcare professionals this October. The longstanding MP for Dagenham and Rainham will be discussing meeting the challenges of the national allergy crisis in the UK on the morning of the first day of the conference

With over 20% of the population suffering from some form of allergic disorder(1) , the UK has some of the worst rates of allergic conditions in the world.

Since the 1970’s, three times the number of children receive treatment for asthma, hay fever and eczema, of which almost half have at least two co-existing conditions.(2) At current rates, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) have predicted that around half of the entire EU population will be affected by allergy by 2025.(3)

Today, 5.4 million people in the UK currently receive treatment for asthma (4) , around 7% of children suffer from food allergies(5) and as many as 40% from allergic rhinitis (hay fever)(2).

As part of an interview with Prof Adam Fox, Jon will share his thoughts on why recommendations from previous reports have not been implemented and why allergy provision on the UK remains inconsistent. He will give his thoughts on how to improve allergy services and will talk about the need for a national plan to make allergy a priority led by a designated senior DH civil servant. He will stress the importance of bringing together medical professionals and patient support organisations to develop the strategy and how this plan will shape the future of allergy services. In addition, he will emphasise the need for an increase in the number of allergy specialists and improvements in primary care as well as highlighting the importance of commissioners understanding allergy care for their local population.

The BSACI Digital Conference will span two days and host expert symposia, practical workshops and interactive sessions with global authorities in the field of asthma, immunology and allergy. The conference will be an excellent opportunity to ask questions and learn about the newest research and insights, as well as network with peers from all over the world, all without needing to travel beyond your living room.

A full programme can be found here and tickets can be purchased online, here.

ENDS

(1) M. L. Levy, 2004 (www.allegyuk.org)
(2) https://www.bsaci.org/resources/most-common-allergies
3 EAACI, 2016 (www.allegyuk.org)
4 Asthma UK, 2017 (www.allegyuk.org)
5 BSACI, 2011 (www.allegyuk.org)
6 Pawankar R, et al, 2013 (www.allegyuk.org)


Notes to Editors

The British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) is the national, professional and academic society that represents the specialty of allergy at all levels. Its aim is to improve the management of allergies and related diseases of the immune system in the United Kingdom, through education, training and research.

For further information please contact: Fiona Rayner on 0207 501 3910 or info@bsaci.org