There is a great shortage of NHS specialists capable of dealing effectively with children who may have a food allergy, according to the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI).

The society argues that without allergy specialists improvement to services will not occur, leaving children at risk of being misdiagnosed.

Dr Nicola Brathwaite from BSACI said: "There are guidelines and care pathways which have been developed and are of great value, but the requirement to delivering these is more allergy specialists: Allergists can enhance services directly but also act as a multiplier by supporting, educating and interacting with doctors and nurses in primary and secondary care who make a big contribution to allergy care".

BSACI said many children still do not have access to allergy diagnosis on the NHS despite the rise in allergies and this can lead to worried families using unvalidated and inaccurate testing.

The society said unless the Government increases the number of allergists and more allergy centres to improve access to care and reduce the geographical inequalities, the overall picture is a gloomy one for millions of allergy sufferers in the UK.

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