Paediatric Allergy Network
The Scottish Paediatric Allergy was established in April 2011 to stregthen and develop specialist services for children with severe allergies.
Severe allergic disease is a multi system disorder that typically affects the skin with eczema, the lung with asthma and the nose and eyes with hay fever or perennial allergic rhinitis. Children can also suffer from immediate food allergies, usually to several different foods at the same time, and often to staple foods, making avoidance difficult. Others have associated allergies to latex, bee and wasp stings, drugs or animals. Children with severe allergies experience anaphylaxis or are at risk of this life threatening form of allergic reaction.
The network has been established for initial two year period to support services in improving standards of clinical care of children through the establishment of continuous quality improvement systems and process. Priorities identified are:
- to set national standards for the diagnosis and management of allergies in tertiary, secondary and primary care, including severe allergic disorders
- to define patient pathways from primary to secondary and tertiary care, including transition from paediatric to adult services
- to develop and deliver an education and training strategy for allergy
- to contribute to the development of a national database for severe allergic disorders to enable audit and research
- to review service provision for highly specialised allergy services
Following the initial two year period, the network will make recommendations on the future organisation of paediatric allergy services.
Contact details:
Professor Jürgen Schwarze, Lead Clinician
Ms Margaret Kelman, Paediatric Allergy Adviser
National Services Division contacts:
To contact members of NSD staff, please visit our staff contacts page.
Catriona Johnson, Programme Manager
Louise Wilson, Assistant Programme Manager
Hannah Cornish, Programme Support Officer
