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Immunology & Allergy Advice & Guidance Services

Checked: 23-08-2021 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 23-08-2022

NBT Immunology & Allergy Advice & Guidance

Immunology & Allergy Advice & Guidance at NBT is available via eRS. Advice requests should ideally be typed into the free text window of the advice request body on e-RS rather than attaching a separate letter or Word document. If you attach a Clinical Information Summary, please ensure it is named this, so that clinicians at secondary care can opt to look at it if they wish to turn the request into a referral.

Immunology

Please process through e-Referral bypassing the Referral Service by selecting the following options:

Priority - Routine
Specialty - Immunology
Clinic - Not Otherwise Specified

Allergy

Please process through e-Referral bypassing the Referral Service by selecting the following options:

Priority - Routine
Specialty - Allergy
Clinic - Allergy

Response times. The waiting time tool for BNSSG GP practices includes a section on A and G waiting times. You will need to download the document and follow the instructions to access the latest information (updated monthly). Please see the Hospital waiting times page.

COVID-19 vaccine allergy

There are very few individuals who cannot receive the Pfizer BioNTech, Moderna or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Where there is doubt, rather than withholding vaccination, appropriate advice should be sought. Please refer to the Green Book for detailed advice https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/955548/Greenbook_chapter_14a_v6.pdf

Vaccine Allergy FAQs for GPs - Vaccine Allergy FAQs for GPs - BSACI

If a patient has a severe or unexpected allergic reaction then please refer to Advice for the management of patients with reported allergies . If advice from an allergy specialist is advised then please use the COVID vaccine allergy advice and guidance service (see referral pathway below). This is the only route for advice and management of these patients and other referral routes should not be used.

Referral Pathway

Management of patients with a history of allergy

Managing patients with a possible allergic reaction to 1^st dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Referral

This referral form is to be used to support an Advice and Guidance request re Covid-19 vaccination for a patient who is deemed to be high clinical concern due to either a history of allergy/anaphylaxis or a possible allergic reaction to 1^st dose of COVID-19 vaccine. It is intended to ensure a prompt response and clear guidance around the following key questions:-

Which Vaccine can I give?
Where should the vaccine be administered community/hospital?
Should the patient be advised to take an antihistamine pre vaccination?

Please complete the referral form (which should now be embedded on EMIS systems) and submit via eRS (please use the COVID-19 vaccine allergy advice and guidance option) Please also include the following:

Current medication list (including brand/manufacturer where possible)
Past medical history
Consultation notes with relevant specialists

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.