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Listening to Australians. Acting on their ideas.

The Shared Care for Allergy project has been shaped by many Australians including people living with allergies and those who care for them, healthcare professionals and community organisations. We thank everyone who participated and contributed ideas through our consultations, surveys and meetings. Everyone’s input is valued and is driving change.

Consultations held in 2023

In May and June 2023, we held a series of in-person and online meetings across Australia to talk about the challenges being faced in accessing allergy care, and ideas for improving it. Meetings were held in every state and territory, including additional rural, regional and remote areas.

Collage of six group photos with people standing together indoors, featuring informational banners in the background.

Pictured: Participants attending the 2023 consultation meetings to inform the Shared Care for Allergy program.

What we heard

  1. Increasing knowledge about allergies and anaphylaxis among healthcare professionals, people with an allergy and their carers, and the community. Making sure that healthcare professionals recognise the signs and symptoms of allergy, and provide the correct emergency treatment, management and advice.

  2. Looking at how healthcare professionals working in the community can be supported to play a greater role in helping people with allergies. This includes working together, learning from each other and sharing information with each other.

  3. Supporting patients and referrers to understand the hospital appointment system. Having clear care pathways so that patients know what to expect and can get the help and support they need, sooner.

  4. Patients who are on a waiting list to see a clinical immunology/allergy specialist being helped by other healthcare professionals and support organisations while they wait.

  5. Thinking differently about how allergy services are set up, as well as different ways to deliver allergy care in rural, regional and remote areas.

  6. Working on ways that patient health information is shared so that the patient and their healthcare providers stay informed. When there are lots of different healthcare professionals involved in a person’s allergy care, it is important that information about tests, treatment, management advice and education provided is shared with all their healthcare providers and the patient or carer as well.

  7. Making sure patients are not paying too much for their care and that patients and healthcare professionals get adequate rebates from the Medicare system.

  8. Using virtual care to provide allergy management and allergy education when the person is not able to be seen in person.

During the consultations, we also heard from people about what was already working well, including local solutions to improving access.

What we did

In addition to our national consultation sessions, we also undertook a series of working group meetings and targeted stakeholder consultations and discussions to build a comprehensive picture of the challenges and opportunities in allergy care. These activities ensured the priorities reflect what matters most to patients, carers and healthcare providers. The image below outlines the key steps we took to get here.

Flowchart illustrating the development of the Shared Care for Allergy roadmap, including meetings, consultations, and stakeholder involvement.

What we’re doing

The insights are the foundation of a national roadmap for action and the creation of practical tools that are improving allergy care across Australia.

Read more about the Implementation roadmap.

Stay informed about this program and future consultations

Content updated September 2025.

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