Compass Kids Clinic

26/05/2026

Allergic disease is considered one of the fastest-growing chronic diseases in Australia, and rates are continuing to rise 🤯 Australian children have some of the highest rates of food allergy worldwide, with around 1 in 10 infants developing a food allergy.

Shocked by these statistics? Us too. Read up on the latest in allergy advice on Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia's website: https://loom.ly/nlWNMF0

22/05/2026

Join us for a special FREE webinar, First Aid Management of Anaphylaxis.

Our allergy educator Kathryn Rigopoulos will present on anaphylaxis first aid in a community setting, including the importance of correct positioning and an update on the adrenaline devices currently available (and coming soon!) in Australia. She’ll also introduce the updated 2026 ASCIA Action Plan.

This will be followed by a live Q&A session taking general questions 🙋‍♀️

Register here: https://loom.ly/HRwwb9E

15/05/2026

Help improve access to eczema treatment for children
If your child has eczema, you know it’s more than just a skin condition. It’s the disrupted sleep and constant itching.
The flare-ups that happen even when you’re doing everything right.
The impact on school, play, confidence — and the whole family.
Right now, there is an important opportunity to help change this.
The Australian PBAC is reviewing dupilumab (Dupixent) for PBS listing for children aged 6 months to 11 years with moderate to severe eczema.
They are asking for real experiences from parents and carers — and your voice matters.

Why this is important
Your story helps decision-makers understand:

What daily life with eczema is really like
How much it affects sleep, wellbeing and family life
The limitations of current treatments
Why access to better options matters

Even a short response can make a meaningful difference.

Have your say here
🔗 https://ohta-consultations.health.gov.au/ohta/pbac-july-2026/

Takes about 10 minutes
You don’t need medical language — just your experience

Find and participate in consultations run by the Office of Health Technology

04/05/2026

Choosing allergy care for your child? Here are a few quick checks before you book “allergy testing”.

Who’s the clinician? Look for Specialist Immunologists (FRACP) or GP Allergists with formal postgraduate allergy training working collaboratively with Immunologists.

Beware big food panels. They can create false positives—meaning unnecessary food avoidance (and stress at mealtimes).
Validated tests only: skin prick testing, specific IgE blood tests, and supervised challenges when appropriate.

Results should be explained in plain language and matched to your child’s symptoms—not just a number.

Challenges matter. Supervised food/drug challenges are the gold standard to confirm—or safely clear—an allergy.
ASCIA-aligned care helps ensure best-practice action plans and safe pathways.

Whole-family support should include feeding/nutrition advice and eczema/asthma optimization.

If you’re not getting clear answers, it’s okay to seek a second opinion. The right diagnosis and plan can make everyday life safer and less stressful.

09/04/2026

Many parents ask whether their child with an egg allergy can safely receive the FluMist nasal spray.
The good news is: yes, they can.

According to ASCIA (Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy), FluMist contains extremely small amounts of egg protein, and studies show it is safe for people with egg allergy, including those with a history of reactions.

A few key points for reassurance:

• FluMist has been safely given to thousands of children with egg allergy
• No special precautions are needed beyond standard vaccination practice
• Children with egg allergy do not need to be referred to a specialist for FluMist
• Vaccination can be given in the usual GP clinic setting

If your child has an egg allergy and is due for their flu vaccine, FluMist remains a safe and effective option.

You can read the full ASCIA guidance here:
https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-allergy/egg-allergy-flu-vaccine

25/02/2026

At Compass Kids Clinic, we see how deeply eczema affects children and their families. Newer, highly effective treatments exist — but without PBS listing, many families simply can’t access them.

This isn’t political; it’s about equity and child health.

We’re adding our voice to the call for timely PBS assessment of these therapies so every child can access the treatment their specialist recommends, not just the treatment their family can afford.

Every child deserves relief, sleep, comfort, and the chance to thrive. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DFVq5SWiR/

Did you know that Australian children with severe eczema still don’t have affordable access to treatments? We are asking our families to please join our SOS for Kids with Eczema campaign.

Our SOS distress call is advocating for access to the best treatments for children with severe eczema. To find out more please click the link in our comments.

Help us show that severe eczema isn’t “just a rash” – it’s a condition that can rob our littlest of their childhood, and their futures!

18/02/2026

Allergy tests can be helpful, but they don’t tell the whole story on their own. A positive test doesn’t automatically mean there’s a true allergy, and a negative test doesn’t always rule one out.
What matters most is the clinical history, symptoms, and the individual nuances behind each result. This is why allergy care is never just about numbers on a page.
If test results have ever left you feeling more confused than reassured, you’re not alone.
Have you ever been unsure what your test results really meant?

11/11/2025

A Message to Our Compass Patients and Families

We understand that many of you have experienced difficulty reaching us recently and we want to sincerely acknowledge and apologise for that.
Over the past year, our team has been working through a significant pipeline of change behind the scenes. This includes moving to Best Practice (BP) for our clinical management system, introducing AutoMed for bookings and reminders, implementing secure online forms, and progressively automating many of our administrative workflows.
These upgrades are essential to improve your experience, ensuring safer data handling, better appointment visibility, and more efficient follow-up communication. However, these transitions take time, testing, and training to get right.
We know from your feedback that while our clinical care and specialist guidance remain exceptional, our communication processes haven’t always met the same standard. Please know that we are aware of this and are actively working to improve. We’ve recently employed additional staff to help manage patient enquiries and reduce response times.
The demand for our services continues to grow exponentially, and we now receive hundreds of emails and phone calls every day. Our team is doing their very best to respond to every patient as quickly and accurately as possible.
As a family-owned and operated clinic, our resources are finite. Every improvement we make must be implemented in a way that is financially sustainable, so we can continue to offer quality, specialist care to families for years to come.
We’re also developing a new and improved website that will include more information to help patients and families understand our services without needing to contact us directly. It will provide clear guidance about conditions, consultations, assessments, and treatment options, helping you to better research and prepare for your care journey with Compass.
Thank you for your ongoing patience, trust, and kindness toward our team as we move through this transition. Every change we’re making is designed to reduce delays, improve access, and make your care experience simpler and more connected.

James Gentle, GM Compass Immunology Clinic

20/08/2025

We're excited to share that access to our bookings has improved significantly—children's allergy appointments are now available with wait times as short as 1–2 weeks. Booking is quick and easy online: https://compass.clinic/forms/

26/03/2025

We are delighted to welcome Dr Alan Nguyen to our team!

Dr Nguyen is a passionate Paediatric Allergist and Immunologist who has worked closely with children and families throughout his entire career. He completed his specialist training in internationally renowned hospitals such as The Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and, more locally, Queensland Children's Hospital. He has published in high-impact factor medical journals, co-authoring with world-leading experts. His practice philosophy is one that focuses on the patient first and foremost combined with up-to-date evidence in order to arrive at the best possible outcomes for your baby, child or adolescent. Having lived with allergies his entire life, he intimately understands the patient experience and this fuels him to treat every patient as if they were his own family. His key areas of clinical interest include paediatric food allergy, eczema, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (hayfever), and asthma.

Dr Nguyen is currently consulting at our Grange clinic on Tuesdays and Mt Gravatt clinic on Thursdays.