Natasha’s Foundation has been campaigning for the appointment of an Allergy Tsar since 2021 after an inquest into the death of 18-year-old Shanté Turay-Thomas, who died from a severe allergic reaction to hazelnut, revealed there was no single person with overall responsibility for the well-being of people with allergies.

An Allergy Tsar would act as a champion to tackle the allergy epidemic now. This would include increasing the number of specialist allergy clinics and allergy specialists and improving allergy training in primary care.

Yet despite repeated meetings between Natasha’s Foundation and Ministers, an Allergy Tsar has not been appointed. Nor was allergy even mentioned in the last Government’s published Long-Term Plan for the NHS.

This year, the charity is using Allergy Awareness Week to highlight the fact that food allergies are not a choice but a serious medical condition.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said:

“It is imperative that the Government gets to grip with the allergy crisis in this country. Parents should not be testing to see if their child has an allergic reaction to a food in a hospital car park - but we know this is happening.

“We need a national lead to ensure people with allergies have the care they need, and allergy should be part of the new 10-year NHS Plan.

“Failing to deliver these two actions would be a huge oversight that will affect the lives of millions of people in the UK.”

Megan added:

“Allergies need to be taken seriously. The longer we wait, the more voices go unheard, and the less is being done to protect people with allergies.

Mistakes should not still be happening. People shouldn’t be losing loved ones to allergies but we know this is still happening. Now is the time for the Government to act.”