ITV News London: Megan McKenna and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse call for an Allergy Tsar and urge Keir Starmer to support the millions living with allergies in the UK

Why the UK Needs an Allergy Tsar

Since 2021, Natasha’s Foundation had been calling for the appointment of an Allergy Tsar following the inquest into the tragic death of 18-year-old Shanté Turay-Thomas, who lost her life to a severe allergic reaction to hazelnut. The inquest revealed a critical gap: there was no single person with overall responsibility for allergy care in the UK.

An Allergy Tsar would have acted as a national champion to tackle the allergy epidemic.

Their role would have included:

• Expanding the number of specialist allergy clinics

• Training more allergy specialists

• Improving allergy awareness and training in primary care

Despite repeated meetings between Natasha’s Foundation and Government Ministers, no Allergy Tsar was appointed. Alarmingly, allergy was not even mentioned in the last Government’s NHS Long-Term Plan.

During Allergy Awareness Week, Natasha’s Foundation highlighted the urgent need for change, reminding the public and policymakers that food allergies were not a lifestyle choice, but a serious medical condition affecting millions of lives.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said:

“It is imperative that the Government gets to grip with the allergy crisis in this country. Parents should not be testing to see if their child has an allergic reaction to a food in a hospital car park - but we know this is happening.

“We need a national lead to ensure people with allergies have the care they need, and allergy should be part of the new 10-year NHS Plan.

“Failing to deliver these two actions would be a huge oversight that will affect the lives of millions of people in the UK.”

Megan added:

“Allergies need to be taken seriously. The longer we wait, the more voices go unheard, and the less is being done to protect people with allergies.

Mistakes should not still be happening. People shouldn’t be losing loved ones to allergies but we know this is still happening. Now is the time for the Government to act.”