Cautious optimism about UK allergy center establishment

Following a UK House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee recommendation that more allergy centers should be established, with an initial one created outside the London and south-east area, the charitable group Allergy UK issued a statement greeting the news with "cautious optimism."

It noted that the report "carefully states that the establishment of this first center should be closely monitored for a cost analysis to be carried out and the lessons learnt to then be used to inform the development of further allergy centers in other areas. This would suggest that it will be several years before allergy sufferers can look forward to being able to easily obtain a referral to a general allergist in their area."

Moreover, Allergy UK notes that similar recommendations were made in 2004 by the House of Commons Select Committee for Health, but there has been nothing in the last three years since that report was published to suggest that the government is taking serious steps to ease the burden of sufferers.