Abstract:
The practice of Allergology has reached great heights in the last 2 years. South Africa has progressed from having
Diplomates in Allergology to the recognition of sub-specialist Allergologists in Paediatrics, Internal Medicine and
Family Practice. This is a new era for those of us interested in bringing the science of Allergology to our patients and
already there is a sense that Allergology has joined other subspecialities in our country, to advance this aspect of science
and medicine. However, the number of subspecialists in Allergology will remain small for many years and in the mean
time, we will need our Allergy Diplomates, and other interested clinicians, to uphold the practice of Allergology in their
own practices. This article is intended to provide a useful philosophical guide to what would make the general allergy
clinic better able to meet the needs of patients. In this article we provide some ideas firstly for the ideal Children’s
Chest and Allergy Clinic. We believe that allergic children and their parents want three things. They want an answer
(a diagnosis), then they want a treatment (a therapeutic strategy) and lastly they want a therapeutic strategy that
works or leads to a solution (improved quality of life). This article will suggest ways to achieve this in your own clinic.
