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Forced to Quit Job Over Daughter's Deadly Allergies
23 Apr
Summary
- Mother left her law career due to severe stress of child's allergies.
- Families demand wider NHS access to life-saving desensitisation treatments.
- Food allergy rates in England have doubled in a decade.
A mother from Cornwall has spoken out about being forced to abandon her career as a lawyer due to the "horrific ongoing stress" of her daughter Molly’s severe food allergies. Molly, aged five, is allergic to milk, eggs, and some nuts. Her mother, Katy, described a terrifying incident in Italy where Molly suffered a severe allergic reaction, narrowly avoiding a fatal outcome after receiving adrenaline. This experience led Katy to give up her job, significantly reducing her family’s income, as she felt unable to trust others with her daughter’s care.
The article highlights a national crisis, with food allergy rates in England estimated to have doubled by 2018, particularly among children under five. Emergency hospital admissions for anaphylaxis have also doubled over two decades. Experts and patient groups are calling for wider NHS access to treatments like food oral immunotherapy (OIT), a desensitisation process involving gradual exposure to allergens under medical supervision. The National Allergy Strategy Group is advocating for increased NHS funding for OIT, which can cost thousands privately.
While an NHS spokesperson stated that a trial is underway to gather more evidence on OIT, current treatments are not routinely available due to limited evidence of effectiveness and regulatory hurdles. Food immunotherapy practitioners often use ordinary foods, which are unregulated as medicines in the UK. Some families have incurred significant costs, including one couple who spent £10,000 on private OIT for their daughter's nut allergy, deeming it "100% worth it".
Specialists acknowledge that OIT is not suitable for everyone, and waiting lists for treatment can be extremely long, with one referral for milk OIT having a minimum two-year wait. The results of the NHS-supported Natasha Trial are anticipated in 2027, with hopes that it will demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of using everyday foods for OIT, encouraging wider NHS adoption. Regulatory bodies emphasize the need to address significant safety issues before such treatments can meet standards.
