Private care clinic to pinpoint allergies 'within minutes'

Published on Tuesday 19 May 2009 09:41

AN ALLERGY clinic has been set-up by the city's largest private hospital.

Murrayfield Hospital, run by Spire Healthcare, will be able to tell patients within minutes if they have an allergy thanks to the new facility, which has specialist allergy nurses.

The move comes as a response to the growing number of people suffering from anything from hayfever to more serious peanut intolerances.

A spokeswoman for Murrayfield said: "Pinpointing the cause of these symptoms and then removing the allergens from the patient's environment or diet can bring dramatic improvements in quality of life.

"The allergy clinic provides a diagnostic service to identify allergies or intolerances in the sufferer accurately, and necessary advice and ongoing support in dealing with the particular allergies diagnosed."

Patients visiting for the first time will receive a new form of skin prick test which means nurses can tell them within minutes if there are any allergies present.

The opening of the clinic has been timed to coincide with the early stages of the "hayfever season" and National Allergy Week.

Experts have also recorded an overall five per cent rise in the number of people suffering from allergies as the climate warms and awareness grows.