Could a new approach to allergies end years of fear for families? Inside the centre transforming childhood food allergies
We meet the specialists behind a new clinic delivering rapid diagnosis, advanced immunotherapy and early access to emerging treatments – and why it could reshape children’s lives for good.
When you become a parent you spend a lot of time worrying. Worrying about them getting ill, worrying about how much screen time they're having and worrying if they're eating healthily enough... the list goes on. But imagine having to add a daily fear of extreme allergic reactions to that already overwhelming list?
For many families this is the reality though, and living with a child’s food allergy means living on constant high alert.
Birthday parties become military operations, school lunches come with a daily knot of fear, and even a supermarket shop can feel like a risk. You're constantly assessing who you can trust to understand the severity of your child's allergy and what you can do to help avoid any potentially fatal mistakes.
Sadly, it's a situation that more and more families are finding themselves in. While allergy diagnoses have soared, access to the newest treatments has struggled to keep up – leaving parents waiting, worrying and often managing alone.
That’s why two of the UK’s leading paediatric allergy specialists, Professor George Du Toit and Professor Adam Fox, OBE, Professors in Paediatric Allergy, have opened the Allergy Centre of Excellence, a first-of-its-kind clinic offering faster assessments, cutting-edge treatments and something many families have been desperate for: real hope.
Could this be the start of making life more manageable for children (and their parents) with severe allergies? We spoke to the founders to find out more about this exciting new approach:
Why did you launch the Allergy Centre of Excellence?
For many years, allergy medicine focused mainly on diagnosis. We could identify what a child was allergic to, but treatments were limited to managing symptoms with antihistamines or steroids. Over the past decade, things have changed dramatically. We now have a range of proven treatments that can prevent allergies from developing or help children overcome them.
For younger patients in particular, this can mean safely reintroducing foods that were once off limits. It’s a very exciting time in allergy care, and we wanted to create a centre that could offer families these life-changing options in one place.
What gap in current NHS and private allergy services do clinics like ACE fill?
The NHS has been slower to adopt some of the newer allergy treatments, even when they have been approved by NICE. Access to food oral immunotherapy, for example, remains very limited. Yet this treatment works best in younger children, so early access is essential. At ACE, families don’t have to wait months or years to start the right treatment. We can assess, diagnose and begin a personalised plan quickly, which makes a big difference to outcomes.
Hospital admissions for severe allergic reactions have more than doubled in 20 years. What’s driving this?
It’s difficult to pinpoint one clear reason. Some research suggests food allergies have become more common, while other studies suggest the increase is partly due to better awareness and reporting. The good news is that prevention measures, including those pioneered by our team, have helped reduce peanut allergy rates by encouraging early introduction of certain foods in infancy. We continue to be deeply involved in this research to help turn the tide on rising allergy numbers.
How do long waiting times affect families living with serious allergies?
The emotional toll of waiting for a diagnosis or treatment can be huge, but there are also medical risks. Delays can mean avoiding foods unnecessarily or, worse, missing the chance to prevent an allergy from developing. We know that the earlier we diagnose and begin treatment, the better the outcomes.
Rapid access to care, especially in infancy, can truly change a child’s long-term relationship with food and reduce the risk of future allergic disease.
What does “fully integrated allergy care” mean in practical terms for patients?
Allergy is a condition that often affects more than one part of the body. A child with eczema might also have asthma or hay fever, for example. In the traditional system, they might see several different specialists. At ACE, everything is joined up. We treat the whole child, not just one condition. This allows us to use medications and therapies more effectively, prevent one allergy from worsening another, and coordinate care so families have one expert team overseeing their journey from diagnosis to treatment.
Can you explain how bringing testing, treatment and emergency support together improves outcomes?
Some allergy tests and treatments, while very safe, carry a small risk of triggering a reaction. Many clinics cannot offer the full range of treatments because they lack the emergency facilities needed for immediate care. At ACE, we have onsite critical care support and a highly trained team ready to respond if needed. This means we can safely provide the most advanced treatments, including oral immunotherapy, under one roof with complete confidence in safety and continuity of care.
What kinds of future treatments or innovations might families expect through clinics like ACE?
There are many exciting developments ahead. At ACE, we’re involved in trials exploring new approaches to make allergy treatment safer and easier for families. These include:
- Refined oral immunotherapy (OIT): Making treatment protocols more efficient and tailored.
- Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT): A drop or small tablet under the tongue that gently retrains the immune system.
- Biologics: New injectable medicines that block parts of the immune response to make immunotherapy faster and safer.
- Epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT): A skin patch that delivers tiny doses of allergen through the skin.
All of these aim to move beyond simple allergen avoidance and towards long-term tolerance. Families coming to ACE will benefit from early access to many of these innovations as they become available.
What is oral immunotherapy and how does it help reduce the risk of severe allergic reactions?
Oral immunotherapy works by retraining the immune system to be less sensitive to a specific allergen. It starts with a very small dose of the allergen, given under medical supervision, and is gradually increased over time. The aim isn’t always to have a child eat a full portion freely, but to make them “bite safe” — meaning a small accidental exposure won’t trigger a severe reaction. For families, that safety net can be life-changing, reducing fear and giving children more freedom around food.
How long does oral immunotherapy treatment typically take, and how is progress monitored?
Treatment happens in two main stages.
- Build-up phase: Your child visits the clinic every few weeks to receive slightly higher doses, which you then continue at home each day. This stage usually takes 6 to 12 months.
- Maintenance phase: Once the target dose is reached, your child continues that daily dose at home. Clinic visits become less frequent, and the team tracks progress with follow-ups, allergy tests and symptom reviews.
The process is closely supported by doctors, nurses, dietitians and psychologists, helping each family feel confident and cared for along the way.
Is immunotherapy suitable for all children with food allergies, or only certain cases?
Oral immunotherapy is suitable for children with confirmed IgE-mediated food allergies, which are the type that can cause rapid, serious reactions. It’s not appropriate for every child or every food allergy, so each case is carefully assessed. Factors such as reaction history, allergy test results and family readiness are all considered. The decision is always made together with parents in what we call “shared decision making.”
How severe does a child’s allergy need to be to receive treatment at a clinic like ACE?
Severity varies greatly between children. Even those who’ve experienced serious reactions may be suitable for OIT. For some, we use medicines called biologics alongside immunotherapy to make treatment safer. There isn’t a single “cut-off”, each child’s clinical and emotional situation is assessed individually before deciding the best approach.
Is there a certain age a child needs to be to receive treatments like oral immunotherapy?
Age can play a role, depending on the food and the treatment. The licensed peanut OIT, Palforzia, is available for children aged 4 to 17, but we also have other safe options for younger children and for other allergens such as cashew or pea protein. Evidence suggests younger immune systems may be more adaptable, so early treatment can bring faster progress, but we also see great results in older children and teenagers.
How can early intervention change a child’s relationship with food and their daily life?
Early diagnosis and treatment can transform family life. It replaces fear and restriction with confidence and understanding. For children, that might mean joining friends at birthday parties, eating safely at school, or simply enjoying food again without worry. For parents, it brings peace of mind knowing their child is protected and supported. The earlier we can start this journey, the more we can help children build a healthy, positive relationship with food that lasts into adulthood.
Find out more about The Allergy Centre of Excellence here.
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Authors
Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You & Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 4 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!