Kids wait years for tests

Specialist shortage affects children with life-threatening allergies

CHILDREN with lifethreatening allergies are waiting two years for tests that will tell if they have outgrown the problem and can throw away their epipens.

And a severe shortage of allergy specialists means there is a six-month or longer wait to even get an initial appointment with an allergy specialist.

Physician and allergy specialist Professor Brad Frankum, who is running to become federal AMA president, says the delays add to the anxiety of patients who are too scared to eat out or even go to a supermarket for fear of an anaphylactic reaction.

And they come at a time where there is a national shortage of epipens due to manufacturing problems.

New research conducted by Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia has found that four out of five survey respondents trying to manage their allergy have had an allergic reaction when eating away from home.

To help deal with this problem the group is this week launching Allergy Pal — a free smartphone app that helps parents better manage a child’s allergies and allergic reactions.

Around one in 10 children up to one year of age and up to 8 per cent of children aged up to five years suffer severe food allergies.

Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have increased fivefold in the last decade.

In Melbourne there is a 12month wait for food challenge tests at the Royal Children’s Hospital but babies allergic to milk can get tested within weeks, says Dr Joanne Smart, the director of the hospital’s Department of Allergy and Immunology.

The hospital has the capacity to test 86 children per week thanks to a recent resource boost, but there are still around 1000 children waiting for the tests.

Professor Brad Frankum says there are 470 young children waiting for a supervised food challenge at Campbelltown Hospital in Sydney, with wait times as long as two years.

“There are hundreds, if not thousands, on waiting lists in each state,” says Maria Said from support group Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia.

Alison Derrett, General Manager Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals, said she was aware of delays for allergy testing at Campbelltown Hospital and apologised to patients.

“The hospital has seen an increase in demand for allergy testing in recent years as the population of the surrounding area grows,” she said.

The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy says there are currently around 50 trainee allergy specialists, but there are very few new allergy specialist positions available in public hospitals.

Professor Frankum says he has approached private hospitals and asked if they would conduct the allergy tests but they were not interested.

“They see it as risky and not particularly lucrative, maybe the health funds don’t give much of a rebate,” he said.

He estimates a dozen new allergy specialists need to be trained just in NSW but says Queensland also has a shortage.