Allergy & immunology · London
Anaphylaxis management & EpiPen training - London.
A written BSACI-format anaphylaxis plan, hands-on training on the auto-injector you actually carry, and a school or nursery version - done in a single visit with a consultant allergist in central London.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A specialist allergist, in a paediatric or adult allergy clinic
Not a general clinic. A named consultant allergist who writes BSACI-format plans and trains you on the actual device you carry.
- 02
The right auto-injector, the right dose
EpiPen, Jext or Emerade. Junior 0.15 mg or adult 0.3/0.5 mg. Two devices always, with clear rules for a second dose.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so the recommendation is impartial and costs you nothing.
What anaphylaxis is
A severe systemic allergic reaction - and why speed matters.
Anaphylaxis is a rapid-onset, whole-body allergic reaction that involves the airway, breathing or circulation. It is a medical emergency and needs intramuscular adrenaline first, everything else second.
Usually IgE-mediated
Mast cells and basophils release histamine and other mediators within minutes, driving airway swelling, wheeze, hives, gut symptoms and a fall in blood pressure.
Airway, breathing, circulation
Stridor, hoarseness, wheeze, difficulty breathing, faintness, collapse or a drop in blood pressure - any one is a severe reaction and needs adrenaline immediately.
Onset minutes to 1-2 hours
Most reactions begin within an hour of exposure. Biphasic or late-phase reactions up to 12 hours later are the reason ambulance transfer and observation are always advised.
Indicative pricing
What private anaphylaxis care costs in London.
Indicative ranges across our London partner clinics. Send a short history and we quote firm figures for the plan, training and prescription in one message.
In short
Consultation, written plan and AAI training in London: £250-£450, plus £45-£85 per auto-injector.
| Service | Indicative range | Typical duration | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial consultation, written plan and AAI training | £250-£450 | 45-60 min | Same visit |
| Annual review and refresher | £150-£280 | 30 min | Same visit |
| School or nursery plan (add-on) | £45-£95 | 15 min | Same visit |
| Adrenaline auto-injector on private prescription | £45-£85 per device | n/a | Same day |
| MedicAlert bracelet or wallet card | £30-£60 | n/a | 1-2 weeks |
| Second-opinion review of an existing plan | £150-£280 | 30 min | 48 hours |
Prices vary by clinic, by which allergist you see, by whether the visit is paediatric or adult, and by how many devices are dispensed. We come back with a firm quote within one working day.
The journey
From first enquiry to plan and refresher - what happens, in order.
One team from first message to annual review - including the school lodgement, the prescription and the reminder to check expiry each quarter.
Phase 1 · Before your visit
Concierge, off-stage for you
Phase 2 · On the day
A single London appointment
Phase 3 · After
Concierge, back on
- 01
Before
You send us the history
A short, confidential form. The reaction, the trigger if known, any past testing, current medications, age and school/nursery details for children.
- 02
Before
We come back with a recommendation
Within one working day: the right allergist, whether more testing is needed first, and an indicative price for the plan and training visit.
- 03
Before
We arrange the appointment
Usually within one to two weeks. Written plan, device training and prescription in a single visit where possible.
- 04
On the day
Consultation and testing review
History, examination, review of any prior skin-prick or specific IgE results, discussion of triggers and co-factors like exercise or NSAIDs.
- 05
On the day
The written plan and AAI training
45 to 60 minutes. Personalised BSACI-template plan, hands-on training with a trainer device, and a school or nursery version if needed.
- 06
On the day
Prescription and dispensing
Two auto-injectors on private prescription, plus school/nursery pairs where relevant. MedicAlert bracelet advice for higher-risk patients.
- 07
After
Annual review and refresher
A review each year, an AAI technique refresh, and a fresh plan before every school move, holiday or new device brand.
Typical end-to-end: 1-2 weeks to visit. Plan and training: same day. Review: annually.
Common triggers
Who needs a plan - and for what.
Food, drugs, insect venom, latex and exercise-driven reactions. Plus the higher-risk situations where two auto-injectors and a MedicAlert bracelet make the difference.
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Food anaphylaxis
Peanut, tree nuts, sesame, fish, shellfish - and egg or milk in younger children. The commonest driver in the UK.
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Drug and antibiotic anaphylaxis
Beta-lactams (penicillin, cephalosporins), NSAIDs and anaesthetic agents. Plan built with a de-labelling pathway in mind.
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Insect venom anaphylaxis
Bee and wasp sting reactions. A plan today, plus a venom-immunotherapy referral for high-risk patients.
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Latex, contrast and other triggers
Latex allergy, iodinated contrast reactions and rarer culprits. Documented, flagged and worked into your plan.
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Exercise-induced anaphylaxis
Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis where wheat, shellfish or another food only reacts with exertion. Written co-factor rules.
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Idiopathic anaphylaxis
No identified trigger despite full work-up. A plan focused on early recognition, adrenaline and 999.
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Newly diagnosed after A&E attendance
A single serious reaction, still no plan and no auto-injector. We turn that around within a fortnight.
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Red flag: airway or circulation collapse
A prior reaction with stridor, wheeze, collapse or a drop in blood pressure needs two auto-injectors today, not next month.
Devices and plans
Three devices, one drug, and the written plan that ties them together.
EpiPen, Jext and Emerade all deliver intramuscular adrenaline - but the drill is not identical. We train you on the device you carry, on the day.
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EpiPen 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg
The best-known device. Blue-to-the-sky, orange-to-the-thigh. Hold firmly against the outer thigh for 3 seconds. Junior dose for 7.5-25 kg, adult dose above 25 kg.
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Jext 0.15 mg and 0.3 mg
A locking-cap device with a viewing window. Different training drill but same principle - outer thigh, 3-second hold, replace after use.
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Emerade 0.3 mg and 0.5 mg
The only 0.5 mg option, useful in larger adults. Currently subject to MHRA supply and reliability advice - we discuss the up-to-date position at the visit.
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BSACI written plan
The standard UK template. Personalised triggers, mild vs severe symptom columns, action steps, medications and 999 advice on one page.
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School and nursery plan
A parallel version for the setting. Photo, triggers, symptoms, when to use adrenaline, where the pens are stored, and who has been trained.
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Trainer device practice
A dummy pen with no needle and no drug. Everyone in the household practises until the drill is automatic - including grandparents and older siblings.
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Second-dose rules
A second auto-injector 5-15 minutes after the first if there is no improvement, or symptoms return before paramedics arrive. Written into the plan.
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MedicAlert bracelet
A bracelet or wallet card listing triggers, adrenaline use and 999 instructions - for anyone with a prior serious reaction.
Prescribing and school care
Two pens for you, two more for school, a plan lodged in each place.
Practical rules for how many devices to hold, where to keep them, who is trained, and what the school’s own generic spare AAI kit adds.
Prescribing rules
- Two auto-injectors carried together, always - one may fail, misfire or be dropped.
- Three to four devices for school-age children: two with the child, two lodged at school.
- Junior 0.15 mg (7.5-25 kg), adult 0.3 mg (above 25 kg), 0.5 mg for larger adults where Emerade is used.
- Quarterly expiry check written into the plan, plus manufacturer expiry-reminder sign-up by serial number.
School and nursery
- Allergy plan lodged with the setting, in the child’s named file and in the first-aid room.
- EpiPens accessible, not locked away - stored per manufacturer advice for temperature.
- Staff trained annually, with a trainer device kept in the school office.
- Schools may hold a generic spare AAI kit under the 2017 Human Medicines Regulations amendment - as a back-up.
- Annual plan review before each new school year, and after any device brand switch.
Where in London
The London allergy clinics we work with.
A small panel of allergy centres across central London, with dedicated paediatric and adult clinics. Introductions are made privately, once we understand your case.
London allergy centres
Where private anaphylaxis care is delivered in London.
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The Portland Hospital Paediatric Allergy
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HCA The Wellington Allergy Clinic
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GOSH International Private (paediatric)
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London Allergy Clinic (Harley Street)
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Chelsea and Westminster Private
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Guy’s and St Thomas’ Private
Safety and cautions
Adrenaline first, everything else second.
The rules that turn an emergency into an outcome: two devices, early use, a second dose, 999 every time - and the medications that can blunt the response.
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Early adrenaline, not last resort
Intramuscular adrenaline is the first-line treatment. Any airway, breathing or circulation symptom - give it. Do not wait for antihistamines to fail.
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Two auto-injectors, always
One device may fail, misfire or be dropped. Every prescription is for two devices carried together, with a further pair for school-age children.
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Second dose after 5-15 minutes
If there is no improvement, or symptoms return before paramedics arrive, a second auto-injector is given. This is why two are carried.
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Call 999 after every use
Every dose of adrenaline for suspected anaphylaxis needs an ambulance and an observation period, even if you feel back to normal in minutes.
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Onset minutes to two hours after exposure
Most reactions begin within an hour of exposure. Late-phase or biphasic reactions up to 12 hours later are why observation matters.
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Beta-blocker and ACE-inhibitor caution
These may blunt the response to adrenaline and worsen anaphylaxis. Where possible we ask your GP or cardiologist to consider alternative blood-pressure medications.
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Expiry and heat
Auto-injectors expire, and heat above 25 C or a car glovebox in summer can degrade them. A quarterly expiry check is written into the plan.
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Generic school kit
Under the 2017 Human Medicines Regulations amendment, UK schools may hold a generic spare adrenaline auto-injector kit. This backs up, not replaces, the child’s own pens.
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When to reach for a plan review
A new reaction, a new trigger, a device switch, a new school, a house move, a pregnancy, or any change in regular medication - all trigger a review.
Reading your BSACI plan
Your anaphylaxis plan in four parts. Read the middle one first.
Whichever allergist writes it, the BSACI-format plan keeps to the same shape. One page, on the fridge and in every bag.
A quiet reminder
The plan is only useful if the person using it has practised.
We include a trainer device and walk everyone in the household through the drill until it is automatic.
- 01 Header
Triggers, patient and setting
Confirmed and suspected triggers, weight, age, school or workplace, and any co-factors like exercise, alcohol or NSAIDs.
- 02 Symptoms
Mild vs severe columns
Mild symptoms (itching, mild swelling, hives) and severe symptoms (airway, breathing, circulation) split into two clear columns.
- 03 Actions
What to do, in order
Antihistamine for mild reactions; adrenaline auto-injector for any severe or airway/breathing symptom; call 999; second dose after 5-15 minutes if no improvement.
- 04 Signatures
Allergist, patient, school
Read this last: date, allergist signature, patient or parent signature, and a school lodgement copy where relevant.
Recognised by major UK insurers
Cover for anaphylaxis assessment varies by insurer and by indication - usually funded when medically indicated. We confirm cover before booking.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about anaphylaxis plans.
Quick answers on expiry, flights, accidental doses, second doses, insurance and the generic school kit.
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How often do auto-injectors expire, and what do I do?
Adrenaline auto-injectors carry an expiry date, usually 12 to 18 months from dispensing. Check every device at least quarterly - a diary reminder helps. Expired pens still work if nothing else is to hand, but should be replaced promptly on private or NHS prescription. Manufacturers offer free expiry-reminder sign-up by device serial number.
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Can I take my auto-injectors through airport security and on a flight?
Yes. Adrenaline auto-injectors are permitted in hand luggage on all UK and international flights when carried with a prescription or a doctor’s letter naming the patient and the device. We issue a travel letter on request. Keep both pens in the cabin, not the hold - hold temperatures can degrade adrenaline.
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What happens if adrenaline is given by mistake, or into the wrong place?
A single intramuscular dose of adrenaline given by mistake to someone without anaphylaxis is very unlikely to cause serious harm. Expect a fast heartbeat, tremor and pallor for 10 to 30 minutes. If the injection went into a finger or a small vessel, seek A&E advice. Always call 999 or 111 after any accidental use.
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Why do I need a second auto-injector?
Around one in five anaphylaxis episodes needs a second dose - either because the first did not fully control symptoms within 5 to 15 minutes, or because symptoms returned before paramedics arrived. Devices can also misfire, be dropped or be lost. Two auto-injectors carried together is the UK and international standard.
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Will private health insurance cover this?
Most major UK insurers cover an allergist consultation and anaphylaxis plan when medically indicated, particularly after an emergency-department attendance or a positive allergy test. Auto-injector prescription costs vary. We confirm your cover, excess and any pre-authorisation requirement before booking.
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What is the generic AAI kit that schools can now hold?
Since October 2017, the Human Medicines Regulations allow all UK schools to buy generic spare adrenaline auto-injectors without a named prescription, for use in an emergency on any child known to be at risk. It is a back-up to a child’s own two pens, not a replacement. We help you get your child’s plan lodged so the school can use its generic kit if needed.
Related tests and treatments
Looking for something else?
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Paediatric skin-prick allergy testing
In-clinic testing for common food and inhalant allergens.
Learn more -
Component-resolved allergy testing (ISAC / ALEX)
Molecular allergy profiling for complex or cross-reactive cases.
Learn more -
Oral food challenge
Supervised in-clinic food challenge to confirm or exclude an allergy.
Learn more -
Insect venom immunotherapy
Long-term protection after bee or wasp anaphylaxis.
Learn more -
Multi-food oral immunotherapy
Structured desensitisation for multiple food allergies.
Learn more -
Penicillin allergy de-labelling
Structured testing to remove an inaccurate penicillin-allergy label.
Learn more -
Drug allergy testing
Skin and challenge testing for suspected drug allergies.
Learn more -
Send Enquiry
Tell us your trigger and we come back within a working day.
Learn more
Ready when you are
A written plan, two auto-injectors and confident hands - within a fortnight.
Send us a short history. We match you to a London allergist, confirm the price, and get the plan, training and prescription done in a single visit.