Why Trained Staff Count

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The latest diagnostic equipment makes a difference to the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment. In depth knowledge of using this is a vital skill.

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As you may have seen in the media, there is a national shortage of specialist dermatologists. Treatment is nevertheless readily available and of a high standard, in dedicated practices across the UK.

Alongside supporting patients, consultants contribute to development through organisations such as NICE, the Royal College of Physicians and the British Association of Dermatologists. They are instrumental in improving care through research.

Consultants also lead interdisciplinary teams and mentor staff at all levels, a critical part of ensuring patients receive the best treatment.

Professional organisations strongly recommend that dermatologists should work alongside specialist dermatology nurses and admin staff. They have a significant role to play in creating successful outcomes.

A Multi Task Environment

If you were sent for an x-ray, you would not expect the doctor to carry this out. They would rightly analyse the results but images will be captured by someone with more experience of doing so and knowledge of the equipment.

This applies for similar tasks in dermatology, staff dedicated to producing digital imagery, or scans tend to do a better job. Nurses with the right training and experience can also offer practical support.

They may be skilled in applying emollients, or other topical treatments, perhaps the best people to explain how home care should be carried out.

A dermatological nurse will understand terminology and procedures. Their knowledge of skin anatomy and physiology will be beyond most nurses, they may have devoted time to a specific sub speciality, such as skin cancer, or atopic eczema.

Whichever staff are offering support at a good dermatology clinic, they are likely to be specially trained. The input they provide allows consultants to focus on effectiveness.

Specialist Medical Skills

Consultant dermatologists are the ultimate providers of skin care, in terms of diagnosis, understanding their patients needs, treatment planning and where required, carrying out specialist procedures.

By nature, most dermatologists are surgeons to a degree, although some more so. They may practice Mohs surgery, a unique approach to removing skin tumours, or be expert in the use of laser technology.

The results they provide are at times miraculous but they also come from the team behind them. Hardware and software needs to be robust, medical photography accurate, treatment applied in a precise, caring way.

A skin specialist is a term rightly applied to a dermatologist, although the care they provide brings together a range of skills. From arranging appointments, to consultation, to each aspect of treatment, patients should be given the best support.