UK Launches First National Allergy Strategy to Address Crisis Affecting Millions

At the start of Allergy Awareness Week, a groundbreaking coalition of charities, clinicians and patients have united to tackle decades of policy neglect with allergic disease affecting over 25% of UK population.

• The UK's first National Allergy Strategy was launched yesterday (20th April 2026) at Allergy UK’s parliamentary reception in Westminster, marking a historic moment for the millions of people living with allergic disease across the country

• The UK has some of the highest allergy rates in the world with 39% of children and 30% of adults affected by allergies. Against this backdrop, the new Strategy provides a coordinated, four-nation response to decades of fragmented care

• The Strategy was developed by an unprecedented coalition including the British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI), Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, over 150 experts and representatives from all four UK nations

The National Allergy Strategy aims to deliver significant benefits to patients living with allergies, as well as the NHS and wider public services through prevention, early intervention and more efficient use of resources, reducing preventable harm and addressing health inequalities.

Despite affecting millions, allergic disease remains dramatically under-resourced within the NHS. Most GPs begin their careers with no training in allergy yet more than one in three of their patients have allergic conditions and 8% of consultations are allergy related. Many allergy patients face delays in diagnosis, access to specialist services is a “postcode lottery” and inconsistent standards of care are common.

The National Allergy Strategy sets out a bold, comprehensive plan achieved through five strategic goals:

• UK-wide leadership and governance
• Equitable access to quality healthcare
• Prevention Strategies
• Whole Society Awareness and Engagement
• World-Leading Research

The Strategy also champions two crucial pieces of legislation: Benedict's Law which will provide statutory requirements for allergy management in schools and Owen's Law which will require written allergen information at the point of ordering across food outlets.

Professor Adam Fox OBE, Chair of the National Allergy Strategy Group, said: "For too long, despite the scale of the problem, too little has been done to develop solutions. This strategy focuses on system-level change, embedding allergy into national policy, strengthening safety in everyday environments and improving accountability across health, education, food and workplace settings".

Looking ahead, the NASG believes that co development and implementation of the Strategy is the most effective way to address the burden of allergic disease. “Since progress will require action across multiple policy areas, alignment with existing priorities across all four UK nations will be critical”, says Professor Fox. He adds, “We anticipate a review phase in which government departments can assess the Strategy’s recommendations and explore areas of alignment with political priorities. The NASG welcomes the opportunity to work with government to support cross departmental coordination and to contribute to UK wide discussions on a shared Allergy Framework”.

The Strategy can be read in full at NASG


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Editors’ notes

Allergy UK’s parliamentary reception in Westminster was made possible with support from Allergy UK's sponsors: Allergy UK . These companies have financially sponsored this event but have had no input into the scientific content or arrangements.

Formed in 2003, the NASG has advocated for over two decades to ensure the NHS can identify and treat allergy using evidence-based, up-to-date treatments across the whole of the UK. The group includes the British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology and the three major allergy charities: Allergy UK, Anaphylaxis UK and The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.

The National Allergy Strategy was developed by over 150 experts across nine working groups covering political advocacy, patient pathways, workforce education, school safety, food safety, air quality, prevention, data and research and public awareness. Nearly 1,000 responses were received during the public consultation process.

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