At The London Clinic, we offer the latest tests to treat common and rare allergies. Our world-leading specialists are experts in adult triggers and treatments. Why wait? With an in-house testing centre, we can diagnose and treat you within days.
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Allergy testing
Also known as: allergy skin test, skin testing for allergies, scratch test, puncture test, skin prick testing (SPT), intolerance test, allergy screening, allergy blood test
Easy access
Call us today to book an appointment
Fast and reliable
With an in-house pathology department, we can deliver fast results
What is it for?
Advanced screening for common and rare allergens
On this page
Overview
As a centre of excellence, we offer advanced allergy testing for adults, to diagnose and treat allergies including asthma, hay fever and anaphylaxis.
At The London Clinic our team of expert allergy consultants and ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists, may recommend an allergy test if you have symptoms of:
- Eczema
- Asthma
- Hay fever
- Conjunctivitis
- Tiredness
- Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
Diagnostic information
At The London Clinic we offer one of the most comprehensive and quick allergy testing services available with all our tests carried out in our in-house pathology department. A consultation will be needed to determine whether an allergy test will be the best course of action for your health concern.
Our world-leading experts in dermatology, gastroenterology and ear, nose and throat (ENT) are able to offer allergy testing to find out which substances you’re reacting to.
Allergy testing at The London Clinic is available as a single service, or as part of a treatment plan. Allergy testing and treatment normally requires two to three appointments, which take place in our comfortable and discreet consulting rooms, located in central London.
Testing normally requires a few separate visits. At your first consultation, your specialist will take a full medical history, to find out which foods, chemicals and substances to test. At your next appointment your specialist will carry out the allergy test, which will either be a patch, prick test, blood test or a combination of them. If you’re having a patch test, you need to come back to The London Clinic a couple of days after, so the nurse can check your progress.
On your third visit your specialist will give you your test results and explain the best treatment for you. All the tests we offer are non-invasive and are unlikely to have side effects. At The London Clinic we have our own in-house pathology department, where all our tests are sent for analysis.
Performing the tests in-house means we meet the highest medical standards and there’s a shorter wait time for results. By choosing The London Clinic you’ll get a more complete, compassionate kind of care from pre-admission, right through to aftercare and follow up. Contact us today to start your treatment journey and get back to living the life you love.
FAQs
Skin allergy testing works by putting an allergen, such as milk or latex onto the skin to see how your skin reacts. A blood test is another way to diagnose if you have an allergy.
At The London Clinic we offer several types of allergy tests, which your allergy specialist will discuss with you.
Pin prick testing allows us to test for several possible allergens at the same time.
At The London Clinic the pin prick allergy test takes around 25 minutes.
First, we clean and sterilise the skin on your forearm.
Then we draw a numbered grid, from 1 to 16 on your forearm, using ink that you can wash off with water.
Finally we place a drop of liquid containing the allergen (e.g, pollen, dust mite, cow’s milk) on your forearm in one of the numbered boxes.
Your specialist then uses a sterile needle to gently prick your skin under the drop of liquid, containing the allergen. After fifteen minutes if any of the sections of skin on your forearm become bumpy, red and itchy, it indicates that you have had an allergic reaction to that substance.
When you come into contact with a substance that you are allergic to, your immune system releases a substance called histamine. Histamine causes the main symptoms of an allergic reaction, including red, itchy and bumpy skin, asthma-like breathing problems and rarely anaphylactic shock.
Patch testing helps your specialist identify which chemical (non-food) substances might aggravate your skin.
Patch testing does not detect allergies that might be related to diet, asthma or hay fever.
Patch testing at The London Clinic usually involves a few separate visits.
1. At your first appointment your consultant takes a complete medical history, to work out which substances you might be allergic to.
2. On your second visit your specialist will put some, pre-prepared patches on your skin, usually your back or upper arm. The patches are a way to test which environmental substances (allergens) you might be allergic to, such as latex, cosmetics and perfumes.
3. Each patch is pre-prepared by us and usually contains ten separate chemical substances (allergens). We will ask you to come back to the clinic after a couple of days so your specialist can check the patches. If any areas of the skin tested become red, bumpy or inflamed it indicates that the substance tested is an allergen. An allergy blood test is used in cases where pin prick or patch tests may not be suitable.
If you are pregnant, extremely sensitive, or have severe contact dermatitis, your specialist may take an allergy blood sample, to identify specific substances that you are allergic to.
Allergy testing allows us to precisely pinpoint the allergens that are causing an allergic reaction in your body.Once we identify an allergen, we can effectively treat conditions such as eczema, hay fever and rhinitis.If you have a food allergy, testing to find out which food is causing the allergy, can help you manage it better.This might be through allergy treatments including :
- Diet modification (e.g elimination diet)
- Medications (e.g. antihistamines)
If you have an environmental allergy to pollen or a household chemical, having a patch test or an allergy blood test can identify it and help your allergy specialist find the right treatment for you.
Allergy testing is safe with very few side effects.
For some patients who are very allergic, small blisters (vesicles) may develop a few days after a patch or pin prick test.
If this side effect happens, your specialist may give you a medical cream or tablets to settle the reaction.
Pigmentary changes, a lightening or darkening of the tested skin, can happen, but this is rare andonly temporary.
It’s estimated that one in three people in the UK have some kind of allergy and that one in four people suffer from hay fever (seasonal allergic rhinitis).
It’s also estimated around 8% of children in the UK under the age of three have a food allergy.
Allergies to substances, such as pollen or peanuts, can be mild or sometimes life threatening.
Our allergy testing service at The London Clinic offers the most accurate and up-to-date testing and diagnosis in the UK.
Allergens can cause severe allergic reactions including anaphylactic shock (anaphylaxis), which can be life threatening and needs immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:
- Swelling of the throat and mouth
- Difficulty breathing
- Fast heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Lightheadedness
- Confusion, collapsing or losing consciousness
- Blue skin or lips
- Clammy skin
At The London Clinic if you have had a diagnosis of anaphylaxis, we can carry out blood tests and skin tests to identify the key triggers and assist you with a treatment plan to help overcome them.
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Your journey with us
Step 1 Talk to a consultant
You’ll start by meeting one of our expert consultants. They’ll take the time to understand your concerns, talk you through any symptoms or history, and discuss the next steps. If you need tests or scans, they’ll arrange them - often on the same day.
Step 2 Get the care you need
Whether you’re having further tests, a minor procedure or surgery, we’ll support you throughout. Our facilities include state-of-the-art diagnostics and comfortable private rooms, and you’ll be cared for by a specialist team who understand your condition and treatment pathway.
Step 3 Recover with expert aftercare
Care doesn’t end when your treatment does. From one-to-one nursing to specialist therapies and dedicated aftercare support, we’ll help you recover comfortably and confidently - with your consultant and wider care team staying involved throughout.
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
Top-rated by real patients
4.86/5 from over 1,600 reviews on Doctify and over 4.5 on Google.
Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.