The paediatric allergy service is led by a specialist multidisciplinary team based at the Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. The service provides specialist assessment, diagnosis and management for infants, children and young people with suspected or confirmed allergic disease.
Clinics are delivered primarily at the Great North Children’s Hospital, with additional clinics held at an outreach clinic, Benfield Park Medical Group, in east Newcastle. This allows care to be delivered across multiple sites to best meet patient needs.
The service manages a wide range of allergic conditions including food allergy and anaphylaxis, eczema, asthma, hay fever (allergic rhinitis), rashes (urticaria), swelling (angioedema), drug allergy, latex allergy and insect venom allergy. The service supports children with both straightforward and complex allergy, including those requiring tertiary-level care.
The Paediatric Allergy Service is part of the Northern Paediatric Allergy Group and works closely with local hospitals, primary and secondary care teams and regional specialist services to provide coordinated and integrated care.
Care is delivered through consultant-led clinics supported by specialist nurses, dietitians and allied health professionals. The service works closely with other paediatric specialties, primary care teams, schools and community services, and contributes to regional and national allergy networks.
Contact
You can contact the paediatric allergy service team on:
Please bear in mind we are unable to offer advice to families not under our service
Please click here for more information about food challenge appointments.
Appointments and Referrals
Referrals to the Paediatric Allergy Service are accepted from GPs, hospital consultants and other healthcare professionals. Referrals should include a clear clinical history, details of suspected allergic reactions, previous investigations, and any relevant co-morbidities such as asthma or eczema.
All referrals are triaged by the clinical team to ensure patients are seen in the most appropriate clinic. Urgent referrals are prioritised where there is concern about severe or life-threatening allergy. Families will receive appointment information and guidance prior to attending clinic.
Allergy testing
The Paediatric Allergy Service offers a range of allergy tests to support the assessment and diagnosis of allergic conditions in children and young people. Testing is always considered alongside a detailed allergy focused clinical history, as no single test can diagnose allergy on its own.
Investigations may include skin prick testing to foods, aeroallergens and venoms, blood tests (such as specific IgE testing), and other assessments where clinically indicated. Skin prick testing involves placing small amounts of allergen extract on the skin and gently pricking the surface to assess for an allergic response. Results are available during the clinic visit and are explained clearly to families.
We are able to support, in our collaborative joint dermatology and respiratory clinics, referrals for lung function and exercise tolerance testing for asthma and patch testing for contact dermatitis.
Not all children require allergy testing, and in some cases testing may not be appropriate or helpful. Decisions about testing are made by the clinical team based on the child’s symptoms, medical history and current guidelines. Test results are discussed in detail with families, including their significance, limitations and how they inform ongoing management.
Where results are unclear or further clarification is needed, additional investigations such as supervised food or drug challenges may be recommended and arranged within the service
Food challenges and supervised feeds
Oral food challenges and supervised feeds are an essential part of allergy assessment and management. These procedures are used to confirm or exclude food allergy, assess tolerance, or support the safe reintroduction of foods.
Challenges are carried out in a hospital setting with appropriate medical and nursing supervision. Individualised risk assessments are undertaken beforehand, and emergency equipment and medications are readily available to ensure patient safety throughout the procedure.
Drug allergy testing and challenges
Children with suspected drug allergy are assessed through detailed clinical history and review of previous reactions. Where appropriate, further investigations may include allergy testing or supervised drug challenge procedures.
Clarifying drug allergy status is important to avoid unnecessary restriction of medications and to support safe future treatment. All testing and challenges are undertaken according to national and international guidance.
Aeroallergen and venom immunotherapy
The service offers specialist assessment for allergen immunotherapy in selected children and young people. This includes aeroallergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and venom immunotherapy for insect sting allergy.
Patients are carefully assessed for suitability, and immunotherapy is delivered under specialist supervision in line with established clinical guidelines. Families receive education on treatment expectations, benefits and risks.
Clinics
The Paediatric Allergy Service provides a range of clinics tailored to patient need. These include general paediatric allergy clinics, food allergy clinics, drug allergy assessment clinics, chronic urticaria clinics and immunotherapy clinics where appropriate. The department also works closely with other specialties, and joint clinics take place (i.e. Paediatric Allergy & Dermatology and respiratory allergy) as well as ad hoc opinion clinics for gastroallergy, opthalmology and ENT specialities).
Clinics are consultant-led and supported by specialist nursing and dietetic input, ensuring a holistic and coordinated approach to care. We have access to a superb child psychology unit for complex and challenging disease.
The multidisciplinary team
Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in paediatric allergy. This includes consultant paediatric allergists, specialty doctors, allergy nurse specialists, paediatric dietitians, and access to psychology and other allied health professionals when required.
The team is actively involved in teaching, training, audit and service development, and contributes to allergy research and quality improvement initiatives.
Research
The Paediatric Allergy Service at Great North Children’s Hospital is actively involved in research aimed at improving the understanding, diagnosis and management of allergic conditions in children and young people. Research activity supports the ongoing development of evidence-based care and contributes to local, national and international collaborations in paediatric allergy.
Children and families attending the service may be invited to take part in research studies during the course of their care. This may include the use of clinical information, completion of questionnaires, or providing additional blood or other samples to support research projects. In some cases, families may be asked for permission to allow samples to be stored for use in future ethically approved studies.
All research studies are fully explained to families, with written information provided before consent is requested. Participation in research is entirely voluntary, and choosing not to take part will not affect a child’s clinical care in any way.
NIHR Newcastle Clinical Research Facility
Patient information and leaflets
A range of trust-approved patient information leaflets is available to support families before, during and after clinic visits. Topics include food allergy management, use of adrenaline auto-injectors, eczema care, allergen avoidance, and action plans for allergic reactions.
Charities and fundraising
REACH-IN campaign: Donation form
Families are encouraged to discuss any questions or concerns with the clinical team.
Useful websites and support organisations
The team
Consultants
Dr Andrew Bright
Allergy specialist doctors
Dr Paul Netts
Dr Sian Williams
Allergy clinical nurse specialists
Lead Nurse, Julie Pentland
Anne McDonnell CNS
Emily Walton CNS
Joanne McCullough CNS
