Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Allergy Research and Treatments: Government Support

09 March 2022 · 4 other contributors · 3,251 words

Opened by Chris Matheson Lab City of Chester

Responding minister: Gillian Keegan

NHS

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Chris Matheson raised concerns about allergy research and treatments: government support in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Concerns raised about the rise in allergic diseases in the UK, affecting one in three people and leading to 615% increase in hospital admissions for anaphylaxis.
  • The current system for allergy services is described as having a postcode lottery with patchy care, leading to avoidable deaths.
  • Requests made for the Government to appoint a national lead on allergies and increase research funding for food allergic disease.

Key requests to Government

I ask the Government to appoint a national lead on allergies to address these issues across different departments and agencies. I also urge the Minister to respond to the request for a meeting from the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and consider increasing research funding for food allergic disease, including cause, prevention, and treatments.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Chris Matheson Lab City of Chester

I am concerned about the rise in allergic diseases in the UK, where one in three people live with allergies and 3 million have food allergies. There is a national postcode lottery for allergy services, with patchy care leading to avoidable deaths. In recent years, there has been a 615% increase in hospital admissions for anaphylaxis, and several young lives have been lost due to allergic reactions. The lack of specific treatment options negatively affects quality of life, and the current system fails many patients.

Other contributors (4)
  • Daniel Poulter Con Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

    Congratulates Christian Matheson and Jon Cruddas on their work, pushes the Minister for improving timely access to diagnostics for families with allergic conditions.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Congratulates the hon. Gentleman for securing the debate and shares that his second son was born with multiple allergies but has outgrown some. He agrees that as one in four people suffer from basic allergies, there needs to be extra investment into allergy research.

  • Jon Cruddas Lab Dagenham and Rainham

    Commends the work of Christian Matheson on allergic diseases, highlights four recommendations for treatment, urges government to increase research funding and become a global leader in allergy research.

  • Yasmin Qureshi Lab Bolton South and Walkden

    Refers to her niece who has ended up on a ventilator three times due to allergies, highlighting the severity of allergic reactions.

Government Response

Gillian Keegan

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Charles. I thank the hon. Member for City of Chester (Christian Matheson) for securing this debate on this important issue and the hon. Member for Dagenham and Rainham (Jon Cruddas) for his comments. In my short few months in this role, we have already talked about this important topic on a number of occasions. I take it very seriously and I appreciate the tone in which this debate is taking place. Allergies affect around 20 million people in the UK. Investing in research is a key component in supporting people living with allergies. The Department of Health and Social Care funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). In the past five years, over £14.1 million has been provided to NIHR for allergy research. Additionally, 79 studies related to allergies have been supported by the NIHR clinical research network in the last five years alone. New treatments such as Palforzia for peanut allergies are being introduced, with up to 600 children aged four to 17 expected to benefit this year and potentially rising to 2,000 in 2023. The Government recognise the challenges faced by people with allergies and are committed to ensuring that all children and adults living with allergies are well supported. They are also taking steps to protect those with allergies through initiatives like Natasha's law, which mandates full ingredient and allergen labelling for pre-packed foods sold directly to consumers. Furthermore, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is undertaking a programme of work to improve quality of life for people living with food hypersensitivity, while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency plans next steps to support wider availability of adrenalin auto-injectors in public spaces.

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