Shared care for allergy in Australia

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About the project

The shared care project aims to improve access to care for people with an allergy, especially for people who live in rural and remote Australia (areas outside of Australia’s major cities as defined by AIHW). This is a new project starting in 2023. It has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health after a scoping project done by the National Allergy Strategy in 2019. 

The National Allergy Council, the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA), Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia and the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) will be working together on this project.

To learn more about what is happening with the project, subscribe to the Shared Care for Allergy Bulletin.

What is shared care?

Shared care puts the person with an allergy at the centre of their care. They are supported by healthcare professionals, patient support organisations and the community to receive the right care, at the right time, from the right healthcare professional(s), in the right place. 

Who is involved in shared care?

Shared care involves the person with an allergy, their family and carers, healthcare professionals, patient support organisations and the community working together to give the best care.

How will shared care help people with an allergy?

This project is being led by Dr Katie Frith who is an allergy specialist representing ASCIA, the peak professional body for allergy and immunology in Australia and New Zealand, and Maria Said AM representing A&AA, the national peak support organisation for people with allergies in Australia. They explain how they think shared care will help people living with an allergy:

	Dr Katie Frith, children's allergy specialist (ASCIA) “We know a large and increasing number of Australians live with allergic diseases, many chronic, and access to care can be difficult with long waiting times. We have a fantastic opportunity to support health care professionals to work effectively together to provide timely evidence-based care to patients with allergic diseases.”
	Maria Said AM, Chief Executive Officer (A&AA) “Living with allergies is often complex and many people have to manage life with more than one allergic disease. The earlier people can access evidence-based information and support, the sooner they learn to live life with allergic disease rather than have it impact life and control their future. Accurate and consistent advice improves management and therefore, health and well-being. We need the team of health professionals caring for each person to guide and treat them in a consistent way with easy-to-understand advice and treatment. Our hope is that this will help with compliance of everyday management and decrease confusion, and anxiety.”

How to get involved

The National Allergy Council will be inviting people with allergies, their families and carers, healthcare professionals, hospital and health service staff, and other interested people and groups to give input into this project. We want to understand what it is like to access allergy care in different areas of Australia, hearing from those who live and work in that area. In person and online sessions are being held across Australia during May and June 2023. To find out how to participate, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

• Follow the National Allergy Council on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter)
• Subscribe to the Shared Care for Allergy Bulletin

Helpful information

Principles of shared care for allergy462.29 KB

Shared care for allergy project overview523.73 KB

Shared care for allergy glossary584.89 KB

If you have an enquiry about the project please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Content updated May 2023.