"Technology review needed to help UK allergy diagnosis and care", says epidemiologist:

There is an urgent need to review the technology involved in the diagnosis and monitoring of allergic conditions and their care, in light of the "dramatic increase" in prevalence of these across the western world, especially in the UK, which has one of the highest levels. So warned epidemiologist Aziz Sheikh, at his inaugural lecture as professor of primary care R&D, community health sciences, at Edinburgh University. Allergies affect some 40% of UK children and 30% of adults in the UK, and cost the NHS around £1bn ($1.8bn) per year, according to conservative estimates. He also cited the recent "scathing" House of Commons Health Select Committee's report on NHS provision of allergy services, in calling for an urgent review of these.