Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to mitigate increases in the number of hospital admissions associated with (a) allergies and (b) anaphylaxis.

People with allergies continue to be supported through locally commissioned NHS services. For people with rare and complex allergic conditions, specialised allergy services are commissioned by NHS England in line with the published service specification.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a range of guidance to support the care of people with allergies, including recommendations on what information and support should be provided to the child or young person and their families to help manage one’s condition and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.

On 1 October 2021, Natasha’s Law made it a legal requirement for food operators to display allergen labelling on food items pre-packed for direct sale, protecting those with allergies and giving them more confidence in the food they buy.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is currently considering how to improve the provision of information for people with allergies and are researching different approaches for the provision of written and verbal information to improve the accuracy and communications of allergen information. The FSA has recently commissioned several pieces of research in this area. These will provide new evidence on the nature and extent of food hypersensitivity reactions, different international approaches to written information, and the business operating models of small and micro businesses in the non-prepacked sector. These reports will be published in due course and will be presented to the FSA Board to consider next steps.

In June 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published new guidance on the use adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs), highlighting the latest safety advice on the steps to take during anaphylaxis. The new guidance includes a step infographic guide and video outlining the latest advice from the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM’s) working group on the safe and effective use of AAIs. It includes an easy step-by-step guide on what to do in an emergency and provides updated advice on body positioning.