National charity, Allergy UK is urging millions of allergy sufferers across Britain to get involved in a new initiative to target their local MP as part of a new postcard campaign. The National Allergy Strategy Group (NASG) have designed a postcard for the campaign, Allergy: Together We Can Crack It in a bid to get this serious health issue addressed in Parliament.Allergy UK has joined forces with patient information organisations and professional bodies as to promote the new campaign, as a member of the NASG. The group is calling for more specialists in allergy (for adults and children), as well as improving awareness and understanding of allergy in primary care so more patients can be dealt with.About 1 in 3 of the population suffer from allergic disease but most GPs, and hospital doctors have little or no training in allergy. There are only 30 consultants in allergy (specialists) for the whole of the UK and many patients when referred to a hospital allergy service see a doctor trained in another speciality.
Mandy East of the National Allergy Strategy Group said: “The number of people affected by allergies is on a continuous upward trend. It is ridiculous that something so far reaching in its impacts should be so woefully neglected by the NHS. We want to encourage all those affected – and even those who aren’t, but understand the issues faced by severe allergy sufferers – to use their voices together to bring about real change.”
By sending a postcard, individuals will be directly asking their MP to raise awareness in Parliament for more training and investment in allergy, and to find out what Health Ministers are doing to address the issue. They will also be requesting more information on what local allergy services are available in their constituency and to be updated on their MPs findings.
Allergy UK’s CEO, Jim Bennett said: “We want to encourage all allergy sufferers to get involved in this campaign and show they can make a difference. We hope to empower the allergy sufferer by providing the tools they need to directly lobby their MP and urge our supporters to send a campaign postcard to their MP.”
You can download a postcard from: www.nasguk.org or order hard copies by contacting our helpline on 01322 619898 and ask your MP to address allergy services in your constituency.
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Press enquiries: Alison Parham (Senior Communications Officer) or Sophie Williams (PR Assistant), Allergy UK T: 01322 611 655, E: press@allergyuk.org
Notes to editors:
Allergy UK is the operational name of the British Allergy Foundation; the leading national medical charity providing advice, information and support to people with allergies and food intolerance. Allergy UK acts as the ‘voice’ of allergy sufferers, representing the views and needs of those affected by this multi organ disease. Allergy UK is a certified member of The Information Standard, which is an independent certification scheme for health and social care information supported by the Department of Health. For further information and to see a list of all certified members to the scheme, please visit: www.theinformationstandard.org
Allergy UK makes a difference by:
• Promoting wellbeing for people with allergy and food intolerance by providing information and support through our dedicated helpline
• Empowering people with allergy and food intolerance to manage their symptoms
• Enabling people with allergy and food intolerance to receive appropriate diagnosis and treatment through education of healthcare professionals and the provision of dedicated services
• Educating corporate bodies in the need for products suitable for allergy and food intolerance sufferers
• Conducting ongoing medical and social research into the causes and impact of allergy and food intolerance, and producing reports enabling us to lobby for better allergy services for sufferers.
