Epidemic of allergies

NHS swamped by an epidemic of allergies

Sufferers are being lured by faddish diets from private clinics, doctors say

Jo Revill, Whitehall editor
Sunday June 10, 2007
The Observer

The NHS is failing to keep up with the growing number of allergy sufferers, with new figures today showing that only a handful of specialist doctors across the country are running clinics for them.

One in three people in Britain can expect to suffer from some form of allergy during their lifetime - including 2 million people in the UK thought to have some allergy to food - but there has been barely any increase in NHS services to cope with this। Experts will warn this week that demand for care is outstripping the NHS's ability to cope, and many patients go to private clinics or dietitians that may offer unconventional diets.

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2099688,00.html