Dermatology

A major comprehensive skin service in North London is provided in the hospital setting at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals. Community services are provided at Edgware Community Hospital and Potters Bar Community Hospital as well as various primary care settings in the region.

The Dermatology department sees patients referred for skin conditions including skin cancers, where patients are given rapid access. Minor operation facilities are provided for the removal of lesions. There is also a well developed Phototherapy Service.

We are the largest London skin cancer centre and also work in partnership with the Royal Free Hospital in providing the North London Community Dermatology Service.

Enfield Community Dermatology Service (ECDS)

The Trust is implementing a Community Dermatology service in Enfield. This service will involve Consultants and speciality doctors holding clinics in GP surgeries across the borough in order to meet the needs of dermatology patients, whose conditions can be safely and effectively managed in the community setting.

The aim of this service will be to provide Enfield patients with localised care and treatment for minor and routine dermatology issues. Patients will be seen quicker, in a setting that is closer to home and clinic waiting times will be reduced. The patients will be seen by a doctor with the same level of expertise as in an acute setting, but their ongoing care will be managed in the community.

The GP surgeries that will be hosting the service will be:

Abernethy House
Green Lanes Surgery
Oakwood Medical Centre
Forrest Road Group Practice
Freezywater Primary Care Centre

The Trust is one of the major providers of secondary dermatology care for Enfield residents. We greatly welcome the opportunity to work with NHS Enfield to develop a community dermatology service and to improve the experience and care for Enfield patients with skin diseases.

Referrals will be made through the Referral Management System and patients will be rapidly triaged to the most appropriate clinical setting. The ECDS will match the capacity requirements required now; future development will provide capacity for most non-urgent, non-complex dermatology patients to be cared for in the community.

Patients with potential skin cancers, complex medical dermatology patients, patients requiring specialist investigations or treatments, urgent cases and paediatrics will continue to be managed in the acute sector until continued management within the community service is possible. The ECDS will provide a formal training programme to support and develop Enfield GPwSI in dermatology and create a mechanism through which they can be accredited by NHS Enfield. It will also provide an easily accessible educational resource for patients, GPs, community nurses and other primary care staff.