Dermatology

View our Trust patient leaflets

• Isotretinoin patient guide | British Association of Dermatologists
• Oral isotretinoin guide for young people | medicinesforchildren.org.uk
• Isotretinoin and soya allergy | British Association of Dermatologists
• British Association of Dermatologists contains general information about dermatology, leaflets about individual conditions and a list of patient support groups
• DermNet New Zealand has a very wide range of information.

There are local support groups for children with eczema - these meet regularly. There are also occasional meetings for adults with eczema and psoriasis. There is an annual melanoma information meeting in Cambridge.

There are also many national support groups:

• National Eczema Society
• Psoriasis Association
• Details of other sites can be found via the British Association of Dermatologists.

The patch test service is offered to paediatric and adult patients suspected of having, or to exclude, an allergic contact dermatitis. Occupational cases are seen, when a workplace visit may be required.

Patients should be referred from primary care via the e-Referral Service to dermatology. Referrals are also accepted with a letter sent to the dermatology department from West Suffolk Hospital departments. Patients are seen in the dermatology clinic for initial assessment and discussion of the patch test process and the patch test series to be used is determined. A referral proforma is completed and sent to the patch test team, where it is reviewed by Dr Fraser-Andrews and Vicki Ayliffe, lead dermatology clinical nurse specialist.

Patients attend patch test clinics on day 1, 3 and 5. The BSCA standard series, and additional series if required, are applied. Paediatric patients are tested to a paediatric baseline series and additional series as required.

A patient information leaflet is available on the West Suffolk Hospital website which gives further information of the patch test service and process, and further patient information leaflets may be obtained at the website of the British Association of Dermatologists.