§ Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of allergy services. [71690]
§ Mr. HuttonThe Department recognises the concerns expressed over the services available for the assessment and treatment of allergies in the National Health Service. Officials will soon be meeting representatives of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology and other relevant professional and patient support bodies to discuss the future of allergy services. The Society will be proposing an agenda for this meeting based on their preliminary discussions with the other interested parties.
The Advisory Group on Medical Education and Training, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, is currently considering an application from the Royal College of Physicians' Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training for the recognition of allergy as a clinical specialty in its own right.