The clinical practice of immunology, as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), encompasses clinical and laboratory activity dealing with the study, diagnosis and management of patients with diseases resulting from disordered immunological mechanisms, and conditions in which immunological manipulations form an important part of therapy.' In the UK, the practice of immunology largely conforms to this WHO definition, with immunologists providing combined clinical and laboratory services for patients with immunodeficiency, autoimmune disease, systemic vasculitis and allergy.
Allergy has recently been recognised as a specialty in its own right. Historically, however, in view of the immunological principles underlying allergic disease and the patchy development of allergy services, many immunologists have set up and continue to provide a significant allergy service including desensitisation therapy, as there are insufficient specialist allergists in the NHS at present.
Specialty website
- British Society for Immunology (BSI)