The views of consultant dermatologists on creating centralised skin lesion units

Abstract

The proportion of United Kingdom (UK) specialist dermatology clinical activity related to skin lesions has been estimated at between 40–50%. With skin cancer incidence rising, this is likely to increase even further. In 2014, The King's Fund conducted research to investigate the sustainability of dermatology services, with participants identifying the need for service reconfiguration to improve efficiency. One suggestion was to create consultant‐led centralised skin lesion units, receiving all referrals within a region. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no published qualitative research on the organisation of dermatology services, and the views of key stakeholders on service reconfiguration remain unexplored. An independent review following the failed takeover of dermatology services in Nottingham by a private provider concluded that staff must be fully involved in service reconfiguration from the outset.

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