Allergy Centre

What does the Allergy Centre offer?

We provide a service for the diagnosis of the full spectrum of allergic conditions, offering a unified approach to their management. This means we assess and manage all allergic problems patients may have and formulate a management plan that addresses these and takes into account their other medical conditions, with the aim to improve their health and quality of life.

We perform diagnostic skin tests, laboratory tests (blood) and challenge tests to foods, drugs, bee/wasp venoms, latex; in some patients, we offer desensitisation (or allergen immunotherapy) for bee and wasp venom allergy, inhalant allergy (or rhinoconjunctivitis) for allergens such as pollen, mites, or cats, and desensitisation to drugs such as aspirin.  We also perform diagnostic food and drug challenges where appropriate.

Correct diagnosis of an allergy means we can help you take the right steps to properly manage your condition.

We accept referrals for adults and children with the following conditions:

• allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, such as pollen allergy (hay fever), allergy to animals, allergy to house dust mites
• food allergy (we do not routinely investigate food intolerances)
• anaphylaxis
• insect venom allergy (bee and wasp)
• drug allergy /hypersensitivity, including perioperative anaphylaxis
• vaccine allergy
• urticaria and angioedema
• asthma
• latex allergy
• eczema
• mastocytosis and related disorders

Run by Professors Angela Simpson, Ashley Woodcock and Hannah Durrington. Adults discharged following admission with acute asthma are routinely reviewed in the clinic, where they undergo lung function testing, allergy testing and education. Close links exist with the severe asthma service via a monthly MDT.

Joint Paediatric Allergy Clinic

Held every 4^th Monday afternoon of the month with Dr Naveen Rao (Consultant Paediatrician) and Dr Susana Marinho (Consultant Allergist).

Dr Naveen Rao runs weekly paediatric allergy clinics. This clinic is ideal for infants and children with food allergies.

Nut Allergy Clinic

Held once per month and run by Dr Marina Tsoumani; this is a dedicated clinic for individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies.

Severe Urticaria Service

Held weekly and run by Dr Susana Marinho, Dr Marina Tsoumani, Dr Iason Thomas, Dr Samia Azmi and Dr Ching Ching Yung for assessment and treatment of patients with severe chronic urticaria and angioedema. Treatment with omalizumab is also provided to eligible patients.

Allergen Immunotherapy Service        

Patients are given allergen immunotherapy (desensitisation) to allergens such as bee/wasp venom, tree, grass or weed pollens, dust mites, cat, dog, horse, etc.

Drug Allergy Investigation Service

Patients are investigated and skin tested to drugs or bee/wasp venoms. Investigation of perioperative anaphylaxis is offered within this service. Held on most afternoons of the week (Dr S Marinho, Dr M Tsoumani, Dr Iason Thomas, Dr Samia Azmi and Dr Ching Ching Yung).

Day Cases – Challenges   

Provocation challenges with foods or drugs are carried out to investigate allergies and/or find suitable alternatives. Desensitisation to drugs is also carried out. Held daily and run by Dr Susana Marinho, Dr Marina Tsoumani, Dr Iason Thomas, Dr Samia Azmi and Dr Ching Ching Yung.

Future service development

The Allergy Centre is actively engaged in service development and national discussions relating to emerging treatments for food allergy, including desensitisation approaches.

At present, food desensitisation is not routinely available within our service. Any future service development will be subject to national guidance, commissioning decisions, regulatory approvals, and appropriate governance processes.

Patients will continue to receive evidence-based assessment, diagnosis, education, and avoidance advice in line with current UK guidance.

Perioperative Anaphylaxis Service

We investigate cases of suspected perioperative anaphylaxis with blood and skin tests, as well as drug challenges wherever appropriate. We run a regular perioperative anaphylaxis MDT with Dr Andrew Parkes (Consultant Anaesthetist) to discuss all cases, agree on diagnoses and culprits and formulate a detailed plan including drugs/substances to avoid and suggested drugs for future procedures.

Dietetic Service

Held once per week and run by a dietitian with a special interest in allergy, Ms Lydia Hudson. This service provides advice to patients with food allergies. This service provides patients with better understanding of their food allergies, a detailed plan for food avoidance diets (with useful hints and tips on how to manage this) and suitable alternative options for maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet despite food exclusions.

Psychology Service

Held twice per week and run by a Clinical Psychologist with a special interest in allergy, Dr Azza Aglan. Living with allergies can be a very distressing experience and can significantly impact on patients’ quality of life. Because allergies are often complex problems, which can affect people in many different ways, a thorough assessment is very important to support them to identify ways of coping to manage their life living with allergies.

This service provides psychological support and advice to patients suffering with allergies; the aim of any psychological intervention is not to treat the allergy symptoms themselves but to help patients explore and discover what things in life are important and meaningful to them and what factors past and present are standing in the way of them being able to achieve their goals. Learning new ways of coping will help them to gradually regain control of their life despite the impact of allergy.

This service makes an invaluable contribution to the holistic approach to patients that the Allergy Centre is strives to offer.

Greater Manchester Rapid Access Anaphylaxis Clinic    

We also run the Greater Manchester Rapid Access Anaphylaxis Clinic. Patients presenting, a potentially life-threatening severe allergic reaction, need appropriate post-anaphylaxis care (in accordance with guidance from NICE – the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence).

This clinic is for patients presenting to Emergency Departments of other Greater Manchester hospitals with suspected anaphylaxis only, an appointment within seven days of referral for post-anaphylaxis care. We provide this in collaboration with the Immunology and Allergy service at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

What should you expect from the GMRAAC appointment?

• A focussed assessment of what happened during the recent reaction
• A review of the documentation from the recent reaction
• An additional blood sample may be required – but this will not be for an allergy test
• Advice on how to manage any future allergy including what to do, when to call for help and how to use anti-allergy medications
• Discussion and advice on avoidance, if a clear trigger is identified
• To plan allergy investigations, if required (allergy investigations cannot be carried out this close to a reaction and are usually carried out no sooner than 4 to 6 weeks after)

What not to expect from the GMRAAC appointment

• Allergy tests will not be carried out at this initial assessment as they are not reliable this close to an allergic reaction
• An extensive review of all possible or past allergies or any other unrelated health problems

Referral from Emergency Departments to GMRAAC

Referral Information

For patients

If you are worried about an allergy, ask your GP to refer you to the Allergy Centre.

For GPs and Specialists

Please see the management and referral pathways for common conditions below if you are considering a referral to our service.

Referrals from Primary Care

Referrals from Primary Care must be sent through the NHS e-Referral System.

Specialist referrals

can be sent via post –

Allergy Centre, Wythenshawe Hospital (F10)
Wythenshawe Hospital
Southmoor Rd
M23 9LT

or email –

mft.AllergyCentre@nhs.net

Referral pathways and guidance