HSE South West is excited to host a ground-breaking paediatric allergy treatment initiative which took place at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on Saturday last, 4 July.
Around 40 children and young people from across Ireland attended the Seahorse Day Unit for Oral Immunotherapy (OIT), a treatment that helps children with food allergies build tolerance to foods that can trigger serious allergic reactions.
On the day, young patients were seen and treated at CUH and to celebrate the nationwide spirit of the day, families were invited to colour in their county flags while they waited to be seen.
CUH is at the forefront of allergy treatment with its Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) programme which began in May 2025. To date, the programme has seen 560 patients, with more than 60% successfully transitioned into active OIT treatment – in other words, more than 60% of children tested are now working through a programme which builds tolerance to their allergens and significantly reduces the risk of severe allergic reactions.
CUH FACILITY ‘A VITAL HUB’
Saturday’s event highlighted CUH’s role as a vital hub for specialised allergy care, and will assist the CUH allergy service maintaining a short waiting list for starting OIT treatment for suitable patients.
The event was led by Professor Juan Trujillo and the CUH Paediatric Allergy Team in partnership with University College Cork (UCC). The initiative also involved 10 UCC students, four Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs), two consultant doctors and a GP with a special interest in allergy.
Consultant paediatrician and paediatric allergy specialist at CUH and University College Cork, Professor Juan Trujillo, said that the initiative represents ‘a significant step forward’ in our national healthcare landscape, as the hospital continues to expand its capacity and refine pathways for patients living with food allergies.
“The success and necessity of this programme are reflected in its broad regional reach. Currently, more than 50% of patients attending their initial consultation to consider OIT travel are from outside of county Cork. This clearly demonstrates a strong supra-county demand and highlights CUH’s role as a vital hub for specialised allergy care in the region.
“Some patients have been seen in our OIT programme with more than 60% successfully transitioned into active OIT treatment. This conversion rate is a testament to the rigorous assessment process, ensuring that treatment is both clinically appropriate and aligned with the preferences of the families involved.”
WAITING LISTS
With approximately 40 patients seen in one day, the event was the second ‘OIT initiation blitz’. Oral Immunotherapy (OIT) is a carefully supervised treatment that gradually introduces very small amounts of an allergen to help increase a patient’s tolerance over time. The treatment has the potential to transform the lives of children and families living with food allergies, reducing the constant fear of a serious reaction during day-to-day life.
“This kind of planned use of Saturday procedures aligns with the idea of useful use of infrastructure of CUH paediatric department allowing families to come outside their work hours – people from Waterford, Galway, Roscommon, Portlaoise and Dublin are attending,” Professor Trujillo noted.
“This also allows the CUH paediatric allergy service to maintain a short waiting list for OIT initiations. These developments underscore our unwavering commitment to decentralising specialist care and ensuring that innovative treatments like OIT are accessible to more children across Ireland,” he said.
