New clinic to help kids tackle food allergies at Mount Druitt Hospital

Kids with food allergies can now get help closer to home thanks to the Better Foundation.

A new food allergies clinic in Mount Druitt Hospital children’s ward is providing care for young people in the Blacktown area who have low risk food allergies.

The clinic, run in partnership with The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, provides testing for triggers which set off allergies from the consumption of eggs, nuts and fish.

To make kids feel at ease, the room has coloured reclining chairs and kid-friendly IV poles.

Mount Druitt Hospital children’s ward nurse unit manager Kate Lowe said that allergies can be debilitating for children and their families and in many cases can be easily cured.

“Local families can now have their kids tested for allergies closer to home and not have to travel to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead,” Kate said.

“Specialist staff from Mount Druitt and Blacktown hospitals conduct the tests, which can result in fewer hospitalisations.”

Opening the new clinic was made possible Better Foundation, the fundraising arm of Blacktown and Mount Druitt hospitals.

Better Foundation chief executive Nermeen Yacoub said it was a pleasure to support the initiative.

“The nurses and doctors who work in this clinic are excited to be bringing services closer to our communities,” Nermeen said.

To access the Mount Druitt Hospital food allergy clinic please see your general practitioner or paediatrician for a referral.

To donate to the Better Foundation, visit: https://betterfoundation.org.au/