British Society for Immunology workforce report reveals clinical immunology and allergy services are in critical condition
The British Society for Immunology Clinical Immunology Professional Network (BSI-CIPN) has published a new report exposing the critical need for investment and outlining key recommendations for clinical immunology and allergy services – or else risk service collapse.
Analysis of UK workforce data from September 2024 reveals that 15 clinical immunology and allergy services across the UK are extremely fragile, operating with just one or two medical consultants in a region. Such low consultant numbers risk service collapse if a consultant were to leave, become unwell or retire. With immunology services across the UK under such pressure, the impact of such events on neighbouring services could lead to wide-ranging loss of access for patients.
The report also paints a particularly concerning picture for devolved nations, with just one consultant per 2.05 million people in Scotland and one per 1.06 million in Wales. The report further explores staffing of speciality registrars, nurse, healthcare science and support staff, and finds significant variability across regions. This does not only raise serious questions about equity of access to services, but also places these teams under intense pressure, resulting in a situation that is unsustainable for both the workforce and the patients they care for.
“Clinical immunology and allergy is a small but critical NHS specialty, yet years of inadequate workforce planning have left services under-resourced and, in some areas, close to collapse, said Professor Sinisa Savic, Chair of the British Society for Immunology Clinical Immunology Professional Network (BSI-CIPN) and Consultant in Clinical Immunology and Allergy, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. “Despite the dedication of our clinical teams, current staffing levels cannot keep pace with clinical demand. This report sets out clear evidence of services at breaking point, with staff stretched to look after huge populations. Too many patients are facing a postcode lottery when it comes to access to services, with the situation in Scotland and Wales particularly critical.”
“With this report, we are calling for an urgent, nationally led workforce review with sustainable, long-term planning at its centre. To inform this, we need better data on workforce activity, capacity and demand. Policymakers must act now to reduce pressure on services and ensure specialist clinical immunology and allergy services can be accessed by everyone who needs them – no matter where they live. The BSI-CIPN stands ready to work with the wider sector to implement the report’s recommendations and build vital capacity within the specialty.”
The BSI-CIPN sets out a series of recommendations within the report, including an urgent, nationally driven service review for clinical immunology and allergy within each of the four nations. The report also calls for action to increase immunology medical training posts and grow the workforce where needed across other staff groups including healthcare scientists, nurses and support staff.
” This new report showcases just how fragile the workforce has become due to a lack of workforce planning. My nursing colleagues work hard to deliver quality care to our clinical immunology and allergy patients as part of a multi-disciplinary team, and as workload increases, support for the workforce must keep pace,” said Jill Edmonds, Nursing Representative for the BSI-CIPN and Consultant Nurse, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “Support for our patients is at the heart of what we do, and our patients deserve to be confident in accessing services no matter where they are in the country. It’s clear that now is the time for a national workforce review and for policymakers to establish a long-term plan to stabilise and grow clinical immunology and allergy services.”
Adding to this, Rachel Dale, Healthcare Scientist Representative for the BSI-CIPN and Clinical Scientist, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust,said,”Healthcare scientists are a crucial part of the clinical immunology workforce. We must better support our valued staff currently working within clinical immunology and allergy to ensure that a career in the sector is both rewarding and attractive, and promotes ongoing professional development. This report demonstrates that additional resource is needed to be able to nurture and retain new talent coming into the specialty across professional groups. Longer term, comprehensive, workforce planning is needed, with training pathways at the core of this. It’s time for policymakers to commit to bolstering the immunology and allergy workforce for the future.”
The findings of this report make clear that clinical immunology and allergy services across the UK are operating under unsustainable pressure, with fragile staffing levels placing service continuity at risk. Without urgent, coordinated national action to expand and support the workforce, inequities in access to essential specialist care will continue to grow. The BSI-CIPN is calling on policymakers to prioritise long-term workforce planning and investment to secure the future of these vital services and stands ready to work with partners across the health system to ensure that every patient, regardless of location, can access the high-quality immunology and allergy care they need.
The full report and recommendations from the BSI-CIPN are available to read here: https://www.immunology.org/clinical/bsi-cipn/bsi-cipn-workforce-report-moving-towards-workforce-equipped-future