What a summer....!

It’s been a remarkable summer – I really can’t remember such superb weather for so long. My holidays in Edinburgh, the Lake District and the Isle of Man have all been enjoyed without my Goretex™ anorak! It just doesn’t seem quite right! The clinics have also been busy – with patients getting a fright when they see themselves (or somebody else does) without the usual protection from clothing. Dermatological referrals always go up in the summer (rather like respiratory referrals go up in the winter) but it seems busier this year. I have spent a lot of time with my paediatric colleagues this summer and I have been reminded how quickly children become ill and bounce back. One moment the ward is full, and within a few hours it can be almost empty. This is such a contrast to the slower pace at which most skin diseases evolve.