Waiting times for referrals are very, very long due to a shortage (compared to other countries) of paediatric allergy specialists and some GP surgeries are reluctant to refer due to cost considerations. Please do take your son's reaction extremely seriously, allergies can be life-threatening, so please go back to your GP and insist on a referral. Don't take comfort from the fact that he 'only' had hives and a swollen face this time, or that a previous test didn't show anything, allergies change and appear out of the blue - and eczema could be a contributing factor. If you can't get a referral, consider seeing someone privately. We did- it was very expensive, but we came out with not only a care plan, but also something black on white to show our GP who then agreed to refer our son. He is now under the care of the excellent allergy team at St Thomas', slowly growing out of his allergies and life is good. If you haven't taken any steps yet, please don't delay... All the best for your son!
