allergy clinics- can they help? Where do I go?

[areyoutheregoditsmemargaret]

My hay fever is getting worse and worse every year and my GP has referred me, reluctantly, to an allergy clinic, while warning allergy testing is very unreliable.

Do people on here agree? Is it worth me going to the clinic. If so, there's apparently a 6-month waiting list, so I might consider going private as I can't take much more of feeling so sick and not knowing what's wrong. Is there a private clinic/consultant anyone could recommend?

Thank you.

Posted this in health btw before I realised this section existed.

Hi, I go to the brittle asthma clinic and they have been fab and did some allergy tests on me - they came up fairly accurate I would say but didn't show the extent of my allergies to dogs.

Worth a try.

WHat are you on for hayfever?

Trust me; if an allergy test wasn't deemed useful out dear NHS would love that excuse to refuse a referral!

I am on 2 sprays of Avamys and fenofexadine. Also on steroids this week but only for 5 days. They are helping a bit - though I have a cold, so hard to tell.

SGBA, sorry but I don't understand. Are you saying NHS won't refer for cost reasons or that the clinics are a waste of time? Thanks

I think she means they ARE useful, else the NHS wouldn't fund them

Yes, that's what I meant. It's sometimes hard to get a referral for something nowadays and certainly cuts are made at every opportunity. If it wasn't with something then they'd have cut that one out a long time ago I think.

Great. In that case ... can anyone recommend a good clinic for adult allergies in London? Thanks

The trouble is, for every bona fide centre there is likely to be a wacky woo one too, so is there any way to find out which one your hospital would refer you to and use that one?

That's the issue, I''m sure there are zillions of quacks out there - I think I will look for a consultant attached to the two nearest hospitals with clinics - St Marys and Royal Brompton and see who does private practice. But if anyone has a specific rec for a consultant, then great