Allergy
Curriculum - Allergy Training (2010)
Curriculum - Allergy Training (2021)
Training Programme Director (TPD)
Dr Susana Marinho
Email: susana.marinho@manchester.ac.uk
Allergy Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
Allergy Training Programme
Have you ever thought of a career in Allergy (or Allergology, if you’re feeling European)? Most likely, as with many graduates, you have not, because of minimal exposure to the speciality though undergraduate and postgraduate training.
Why Allergy?
Allergy is a very interesting and rewarding specialty with good career opportunities. It is recognised as a specialist service and elements of the service are commissioned directly by NHS England.
A career in Allergy will allow you to deal with multiple and varied problems across several organ-based specialties and Paediatrics; you will also have close links with allied health professionals (psychologists, dietitians, lung physiologists) and with primary care. There are also ample opportunities for teaching and training and for research.
The training post in Allergy is based at the Allergy Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Wythenshawe Hospital.
The Allergy Centre in South Manchester was set up in January 2004. Dr Susana Marinho was recruited to the allergy team in 2009 and the service became fronted by a dedicated full time NHS Consultant Allergist. The service has since expanded considerably and became one of the largest in the country.
Details of the Allergy Team at Wythenshawe Hospital are below:
The Allergy Centre at Wythenshawe provides comprehensive allergy care for adults, offering a holistic approach to diagnosis and management of a wide range of allergic disorders. It also has close links with the Paediatrics Service, providing the same range of comprehensive allergy care to children. We run joint paediatric allergy clinics with Dr Naveen Rao, Consultant Paediatrician with an interest in Allergy, and Professor Nikolaos Papadopoulos, Professor of Allergy and Paediatric Allergy at the University of Manchester, also takes active part in this service.
Today the Allergy Centre investigate and manage over 4500 patients annually, with conditions including anaphylaxis, food allergy, insect venom allergy, latex allergy, urticaria and angioedema, severe allergic rhinitis, asthma, eczema and drug allergy (where we investigate patients with reactions to antibiotics, NSAIDs, local and general anaesthetics, among many other drugs).
Our training post will provide you with the tools to deliver excellent, holistic, multidisciplinary care for patients with allergic diseases according to best practice guidelines defined by both national and international authoritative bodies. The training programme comprises of core Allergy outpatient clinics and day-case sessions, with close links and planned rotations with other specialties, such as with Paediatric Allergy, Immunology, Respiratory Medicine, ENT, Gastroenterology, and Dermatology, so there is plenty of variety. As part of your training, you will gain experience in severe asthma, airways and ENT, (including allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis and rhinosinusitis), anaphylaxis (including peri-operative anaphylaxis with regular MDTs with consultant anaesthetists), drug allergy/hypersensitivity, insect venom allergy (bee/wasp), food allergy, latex allergy, urticaria and angioedema, eczema, and multi-system allergic disease.
The Allergy Centre is an integrated clinical and research unit with an active research programme, ensuring that patients have access to the latest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases. We have close links with stellar academics, who are also part of the clinical team, and there are multiple opportunities to join research studies.
What is most rewarding about Allergy?
- Allergies affect millions, so you will have the opportunity to provide tangible and effective help to sufferers.
- No conflict between service commitment and training.
- Excellent work-life balance (no on-calls!). Allergy is an outpatient/day-case based speciality, so there is no shift work and fairly regular hours; therefore, planning ahead will be less of a challenge than it has been so far.
- Rapidly advancing specialty with cutting-edge science.
Useful Links
JRCPTB Specialty Overview and Recruitment