We developed this service working with patients from across South West London to make sure that it meets the needs of our diverse communities.
Following our patient engagement, we published a series of patient education videos based on the areas that people told us they would like more guidance on – paediatric eczema, psoriasis, skin cancer, skin examination, lymph node examination, and sun protection.
We also published a video tutorial on “how to take a good quality photo of you skin” to help patients to take photos of their skin. These photos can be sent to their GP, who can securely send them to hospital dermatologists for advice and guidance or for the triage process.
To make sure as many people as possible could benefit from the video, it was also produced in Gujarati, Tamil, Urdu, Polish (the most common languages spoken in South West London) and British Sign Language.
To support local GPs, local guidelines were produced and a series of educational webinars were held to show the treatment and management of skin conditions, including how the presentation of these conditions may vary in different skin types.
A series of teledermoscopy training (taking magnified images of the skin) also took place to help GPs to take images of moles. As a result, GPs can make more informed decisions about management and referrals, which reduces the waiting times for patients.
How we’re making a difference