Argh I've just posted it off, Becks!  They need to be in by the 18th and I wanted it to make it in time.  Thanks anyway... you can still do it by e-mail, which counts as another signature... and every signature and e-mail helps! 

Andie bring it to me I will sign it for you.

I got 60 sigs at church today... wa-hoo! 

Ar!  I've just addressed 2 envelopes to you for those, Kellz.  So if you beat me to it Aimee, Kelly will have 2 sheets to fill!  Mwah ha ha ha haaaa. 

I'm gonna take Ella door-knocking with me when I go.  I'll let her cute little face do the persuading! 

oooh, and please, would you mind also dropping a post in here if you've sent an e-mail so that us allergy families know who to thank, and to stop this post dropping off the page in a hurry before people have had a chance to read it?  I know it's a loooong post above, but it's not a big task, lending your support to it, so thanks in advance to those of you kind enough to help out

Hi everyone.  Please consider sending an e-mail in support of all the kids on here who live with constant allergy battles, and all the mums on here beating their heads against brick walls just trying to get the medical services our kids need, when they need it.  Thanks ever so much - every bit helps.  All you need to do it read this and send one wee e-mail.  Please feel free to copy and paste the whole thing and pass it on as well, so long as you send it in it's entirety (all the text below this blue).  Cheers! 

Support Allergy New Zealand in making a major submission on the need for better access to allergy services for all New Zealanders.

We would like to show the DHB’s that we have the support of those affected by allergies and to give weight to our submissions.  To do this we need your help!

To do so, simply email dhbsubmissions@allergy.org.nz stating your support for Allergy New Zealand’s submission to the [insert name] District Health Board. Please make sure your name and place you live is in the email.

You could also forward this e-mail on to your family and friends so they can do the same.

Please consider getting some signatures. We can send you (or e-mail) a form, covering information letter and a map of your DHB area.  You could then take it around to your family/neighbours/friends/work/kindy/school … We just need to have it posted back to Allergy New Zealand before May 18th. If every member and supporter collected just 10 signatures each we would have more than 24,000.  Every little bit you do can help.

The more support, the louder our voice on your behalf and that of your family and friends.

The Submission

As part of Allergy Awareness Week, 18-24 May, Allergy New Zealand will be presenting a submission to each of New Zealand’s 21 District Health Boards. The purpose of these submissions is to raise awareness of the substantial burden that allergies, as one of the leading forms of chronic disease, imposes on New Zealanders as a whole.

New Zealand has one of the highest prevalence of allergic disease in the developed world, affecting up to 20% of the population, mainly young people of working age and their children. Allergic diseases are a significant underlying cause of avoidable hospital admissions including for asthma and anaphylaxis; repeat GP visits for conditions such as eczema, ear and chest infections and conjunctivitis, and high use of medications such as antibiotics. They are also responsible for complex conditions such as food allergy, and life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis.

However as people in many regions of New Zealand report, it is very difficult to access specialist care, whether public or private. In fact the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy has stated that the number of allergy/immunology specialists in New Zealand “is well below international benchmarks and inadequate to manage the burden of disease.”

This chronic condition is usually triggered by substances which are difficult to avoid in every day life, from house dust and pollens to eggs and dairy food. Even mild symptoms often have hidden effects, such as lack of sleep due to itching from eczema; while life-threatening reactions such as anaphylaxis to food, happen within minutes and require an emergency response.

Yet in most regions of New Zealand people report significant delays in getting a proper diagnosis let alone advice and treatment; and in all but a few DHB areas, many patients have to pay for services such has laboratory tests or a referral to a specialist, even when such referrals are standard clinical practice overseas. There is also little or no recognition of the impact on the individual and/or family in managing complex chronic allergic conditions such as food allergy and/or anaphylaxis. This is compounded by the ongoing reluctance of Pharmac to fund the adrenaline auto-injector (i.e. EpiPen®) for those at risk of anaphylaxis.

In these submissions, Allergy New Zealand will call on District Health Boards to:

1.         Acknowledge that the lack of access to specialist allergy and clinical immunology services for the majority of New Zealanders is a serious issue that needs to be resolved as soon as possible;

2.         Commit resources urgently to improve access to tertiary-level clinical services for both paediatric and adult patients with severe and/or complex conditions and/or at risk of life-threatening allergies.

3.         Make a commitment to collaborate regionally and nationally to develop as a priority, publicly-funded clinical pathways for allergy and immunology services so that provision for patients is equitable, based on need, and to international best practice including those for the management of chronic disease.

The full submission will be available on our website www.allergy.org.nz from 19 May. In the meantime, contact us if you have any questions.

Allergy New Zealand

PO Box 56-117, Dominion Road, Auckland
Ph. 09-623-3912 Fax 09-623-0091

www.allergy.org.nz