Independent King’s Fund report finds major failings in NHS services for people with skin diseases

A report by the King’s Fund into a major NHS specialty - dermatology - has identified staff shortages, poor training, inconsistent quality in diagnosis and treatment and large variations in access to specialist care, affecting millions of patients across the UK each year.

Dermatology represents an important part of NHS provision. Each year, approximately 24% of the population will visit their GP with a skin complaint, making skin conditions the most frequent reason for people to consult their doctor with a new problem. The independent report, commiss-ioned by the British Association of Dermatologists, looked at a range of issues, including workforce (staffing), training, use of temporary or locum staff, technology and the role of pharmacy, making a number of observations and recommendations.

Dr David Eedy, president of the British Association of Dermatologists said, “This independent report confirms our suspicions about many of the problems currently facing dermatology, while suggesting some interesting solutions. Workforce and GP education are already top of our agenda, yet seem to be ignored by the powers that be. Given that as much as 20-25% of GP workload involves skin disease, the added pressure on GPs will not be alleviated by cutting further consultant dermatologists who help them with some of their most numerous, time consuming clinical problems. And yet the shortfall in consultant numbers is not being addressed by creating further trainee posts in dermatology, which would seem like a logical step. Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that there is a lack of knowledge about skin disease in general practice as a result of poor undergraduate and postgraduate teaching which leaves most GPs lacking the skills to manage dermatology and results in more patients being referred to consultants.”