NHS sees allergic reaction emergencies double in England

New data has shown that dangerous allergic reactions are increasing in England and now cause some 25,000 NHS hospital stays each year.

Health officials say the rate has more than doubled over the last 20 years, prompting them to issue advice reminding people how to recognise and respond to allergies.

For severe food-related allergic reactions, the rise in admissions is even greater.

Provisional figures show admissions increased from under 2,000 twenty years ago to over 5,000 in 2022/23.

The data, gathered by the NHS and analysed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, does not include people who visited outpatient or Accident and Emergency departments with allergies and were discharged without requiring a hospital stay.

Laura Squire, MHRA Chief Officer for Healthcare Quality and Access, said “These figures highlight just how serious the consequences of allergies can be, and the rising numbers of hospitalisations highlights the need to know how to act in an emergency.

“Knowing how to use an adrenaline auto-injector and what to do afterwards is crucial when responding in an emergency, whether you’re having the reaction yourself, or helping someone else.”

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Posted by Karen Motley, Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (jacquelinevance@chadlaw.co.uk), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.

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