Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether tests for mast cell activation markers, completed by the Protein Reference Unit Lab in Sheffield, are available on the NHS.

A number of standard tests relevant to patients being cared for in allergy clinics are available at most hospitals. Mast cell activation marker tests are not standard tests within the National Health Service and are ordered by individual NHS clinicians using local procedures based on the assessment of individual cases.

The expertise required to investigate and manage the allergic symptoms experienced exists within allergy clinics provided by the NHS. A list of allergy clinics can be obtained from the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology at:

http://www.bsaci.org/professionals/allergy-specialists

The Royal College of Physician’s Improving Quality in Allergy Services scheme at:

www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/outputs/improving-quality-allergy-services