The role of primary care in tackling allergic diseases

In 2006, the Information Centre for health and social care commissioned an assessment of patterns of allergic diseases in patients diagnosed in primary care in.England.

The resulting report is based on an analysis of a new primary care database called QResearch,.which is jointly run by the.University of Nottingham and software supplier EMIS. It will assist the government in making policies and developing.standards and services for this area of healthcare.

Information Centre.chief executive Professor Denise Lievesley said: 'There is a strongly held view among clinical specialists that there is a large and increasing burden of illness due to allergic conditions.

'The overall aim of this report is to describe the epidemiology and use of primary care services for patients with allergic disease to inform a national review of allergy services. In order to plan and commission NHS services appropriately, we need the best possible information on the need for additional care.'

QResearch director Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox said: 'This is the largest, most detailed evaluation of allergic diseases ever to be conducted in primary care internationally and the analysis was only possible because thousands of family doctors freely contribute data for medical research.

'The rapidly changing disease patterns described in the report highlight the need for ongoing surveillance in this area, and suggest that services will need to continue to evolve over the next few decades to meet the anticipated growing disease burden posed by allergic problems.'