Allergy UK Research and Development Nurse Project

The aim of the research project is to develop, deliver and assess the feasibility of a nurse-led allergy clinic in primary care, taking into account population, geographical area and needs of healthcare in the area chosen. It is widely acknowledged that the majority of cases of mild to moderate allergy could be adequately dealt with in primary care, by a healthcare professional with the appropriate expertise and knowledge of allergy. The provision of allergy care in the community could potentially have a beneficial impact on health care and patient outcomes. The project will comprise the set up and delivery of a nurse led allergy clinic in primary care and use a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the feasibility of the clinic. This will include the use of a series of validated questionnaires e.g. satisfaction, condition specific quality of life and economic cost questionnaires, as well as face to face interviews. The research will collect data to see if this clinical intervention is feasible and allow audit of the clinical intervention. This will also enable the researchers to understand patients lived experiences of accessing allergy care and the effect of allergy on quality of life and impact of allergy care.