Welcome to FANS
Food Allergy Nottingham Service is an innovative new business venture based in Nottingham, led by Dr Lisa Waddell, a highly experienced paediatric food allergy dietitian, with the core aim of supporting families of infants and children with symptoms suggestive of food allergy. Many families believe that there is ‘something wrong’ with their baby or young child, but they have been told that there is nothing to worry about and they will grow out of it, or they may have an older child who has persistent symptoms despite having had a range of medications.
The service starts by helping to establish whether symptoms associated with the gut, such as vomiting/ diarrhoea/ constipation/ food refusal, distress and poor sleeping, skin rashes/ eczema or breathing/ ear, nose or eye symptoms are due to food allergy or not. The initial assessment involves completing a newly devised online allergy assessment form (coming soon!), which is going to be validated through research in the hope of becoming a useful tool for patients and health professionals in the future, for diagnosing food allergy in infants and children. If the assessment is suggestive of food allergy, a consultation for patients with an experienced paediatric dietitian such as Dr Lisa Waddell is recommended, following a supporting referral from a GP or other medical health professional e.g. paediatrician.
You can also keep abreast of the latest news and research by visiting the News page.
Dr Lisa Waddell, BSc (Hons) Nutr, RD, PhD, MBDA is a highly experienced paediatric food allergy dietitian who has worked as a paediatric dietitian in the NHS for over 22 years and who is now offering a private service to families with infants and children who have, or may be suffering from food allergy.
Dr Lisa Waddell (nee Norman), qualified at Surrey University in 1989 with a BSc in Nutrition and as a registered dietitian (RD). In 1993 she joined the supra-regional Nottingham paediatric renal team as a childrens renal dietitian and remained until October 2001, during which time she undertook a PhD looking at nutrition, progression and growth in children with chronic renal insufficiency. Lisa was awarded her PhD under her maiden name in July 2002.
In November 2001, Lisa moved into the community as a community paediatric dietitian, and has since specialised in common nutritional problems of infancy, particularly relating to early recognition and diagnosis of food allergy in the community. She continues to work part time, seeing NHS patients; predominantly infants and children with suspected or diagnosed food allergies, for what has now become a social enterprise; Nottingham CityCare Partnership.
Lisa is joint author of the Nottinghamshire Area Prescribing Committee ‘Guidance on the Management of Lactose Intolerance and Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy and the Prescription of Specialised Infant Formula’ 2012.
She provides training and education to health visiting teams, GP’s and community paediatricians to support them in the diagnosis and management of infants and children with food allergies and on implementation of the document. She has produced an allergy focused clinical history template for GP’s and childrens health teams to use on Systmone electronic patient record.
Lisa was a member of the NICE guidelines development group for food allergy: Diagnosis and assessment of food allergy in children and young people in primary care and community settings, 2011
and a member of the RCPCH food allergy care pathway working group: RCPCH Care pathway for food allergy, 2011.
She was awarded an Open University Education for Health allergy degree module in 2011.
Lisa was invited to join the Allergy UK Health Advisory Board in September 2013.
She has published, presented and peer reviewed widely on a range of infant nutrition related subjects and has recently become an invited author for Watchfit.
Lisa is a Registered Dietitian under the UK Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and member of the:
"Our mission is to provide a patient-centred service that supports early recognition,
diagnosis and treatment of food allergy in children, thereby enhancing quality of life"