Strike action is taking place in June. We'll contact you directly if you or your child's appointment is affected.

There are rail strikes planned for June, which may affect your journey to our hospital and community centres. If you or your child has an appointment booked, please do all you can to attend. Plan your journey ahead and allow extra time.

Allergy testing

The skin test panels cover all the common food and environmental allergens. If you believe your child may be allergic to an unusual food or to a fruit or vegetable, then it is very helpful if you could bring these with you as we can use it to do an allergy test.

It is important that antihistamines are stopped for at least four days prior to the consultation as antihistamines may interfere with the results of the skin tests.

As well as skin tests, our specialist nurses may perform lung function tests, or take the opportunity to revise your asthma inhaler or epipen skills.

After the testing, the results will be passed to the doctor who saw you and you will have the opportunity to discuss them. You will also have the opportunity to spend time with one of our specialist children's dietitians, if needed.

Allergy testing can slow the clinic appointments down (as time is needed for the tests to react). Your journey through our department may include time with our doctors, nurses and dieticians, with diagnostic skin tests for most children. Therefore, please allow at least two hours for your child’s visit.

We have wall displays and information leaflets, which you may find interesting to read and gain further information about allergic disease. There is also free internet access available by logging on to the NHS WiFi network on your device. Please note that some internet content will be automatically blocked.

Please bring any medicines that your child is taking with you to the clinic. If your child has been referred because of a possible reaction to a medicine or anaesthetic, please bring along a summary of the medicines, which were given at the time of the reaction. This will help us in planning the most appropriate testing to be performed.

Types of tests

There are three types of allergy tests - skin prick test, specific IgE blood tests (previously called RAST tests) and atopy patch tests. Your consultant will discuss with you which tests are most appropriate.

The three allergy tests

 

 

 

 

Contacts

Tel: 020 7188 3300

Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm

How to find us

Otter outpatients
Second floor, staircase B, South Wing
St Thomas' Hospital
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7EH

This department is only accessible via lift/staircase B.

Map of Second Floor, South Wing, St Thomas' Hospital