Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust’s Allergy and Immunology team are celebrating after becoming the first NHS Trust in the UK to be awarded ‘Improving Quality in Allergy Services’ (IQAS) accreditation by the Royal College of Physicians.

The Trust was awarded accreditation following an assessment of its facilities, staff and working practices, to evidence its commitment to the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Launched by the Royal College of Physicians in November 2015, IQAS aims to improve the quality and outcomes of clinical allergy services through the achievement of best practice standards.

Dr Aarnoud Huissoon, head of Allergy and Immunology West Midlands at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled to be the first IQAS accredited service, and that the Allergy Service has been recognised as providing an effective and patient-centred service.

“This is a deserved acknowledgement of the hard work that the allergy team has done to meet the IQAS standards.

“The whole accreditation process has helped us focus on how to make our service work for patients, and the assessment team provided helpful recommendations for further improvements that we can make.”