Charity in allergy treatment plea

Allergy UK says people are being forced to seek private care

Allergy sufferers in Scotland may have been forced to wait up to five years for treatment, according to a charity.

Allergy UK said Scotland was in a "dire situation" with many patients having to turn to private consultants.

The body has called on Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon to act immediately to cut the delays.

The Scottish Government is preparing to publish a report on the issue while a Westminster report is due out on Wednesday.

Allergy UK said one in three people will suffer from some sort of allergy in their life.

However, its chief executive Muriel Simmons, told BBC Radio Scotland's Scotland Live programme that many allergy sufferers were getting a raw deal.

There is a huge lack of provision and a huge demand and all of the time, allergies are increasing Dr Carole McAlister GP Matters

She said the situation was worse in Scotland than in England, with only two immunologists, compared with 26 in England.

Ms Simmons said this resulted in difficulties getting a referral, with some people travelling south of the border to get a diagnosis.

She added that once a certain number of weeks had passed, referrals were actually rejected.

"So people go to their doctors who will refer them, however, because the hospitals don't want a huge waiting list, they won't take the referral," she said.

Dr Carole McAlister, an allergy specialist at GP Matters, a private clinic in the west end of Glasgow, said: "There is a huge lack of provision and a huge demand and all of the time, allergies are increasing.

"My understanding is that the waiting list at Yorkhill children's hospital in Glasgow is 26 weeks."

No one from the Scottish Government was available for comment.