Widening access to penicillin allergy assessment in the United Kingdom—a proposed implementation plan for the National Health Service (NHS)

TL;DR

This paper proposes a plan to improve penicillin allergy assessments in the UK to reduce incorrect labels and their negative health impacts.

Contribution

A high-level implementation plan is proposed to widen access to penicillin allergy assessment in the UK NHS.

Findings

Incorrect penicillin allergy labels negatively affect patient outcomes and antibiotic use.

Collaboration with stakeholders has shaped a feasible plan for wider allergy assessment access.

The plan aims to serve as a model for international collaboration on this global issue.

Abstract

Globally, there is increasing evidence that incorrect penicillin allergy labels negatively affect patient outcomes, antibiotic prescribing and antimicrobial resistance, leading to growing concern about this patient safety issue and how to resolve it. While many millions of patients worldwide have incorrect penicillin allergy labels, there are too few specialist allergists and a lack of ‘point-of-care’ tests to address this problem. Numerous research studies now provide evidence of the feasibility and importance of widening access to penicillin allergy assessment. Researchers from two UK-based studies (SPACE and ALABAMA), in collaboration with key stakeholders including patient representatives, gave their views to shape a high-level implementation plan to facilitate widening access to penicillin allergy assessment in the UK. This Viewpoint describes the basis of the implementation plan and summarizes the key actions required for successful delivery. While the plan is intended for the UK, we hope to promote international shared learning and collaboration to address this global problem informed by the UK context.