Dermatology Team of the Year

Summary

Lincolnshire is a rural county, with a population of around 800,000. It has one of the largest numbers of people with skin cancer in the East Midlands. The diagnosis and management of people with suspected cancer has become increasingly challenging for two main reasons. One was the difculty in providing capacity for the year-on-year increase in the number of suspected skin cancer two week wait referrals without impacting on access to care for people with other skin problems, such as psoriasis and eczema. The second issue was a lack of any specialist nursing support for patients diagnosed with skin cancer. This was highlighted by the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) review in 2018 and by the East Midlands Cancer Alliance in 2019. Innovative community and hospital clinics were developed to address these challenges. These Spot and Rapid Access clinics focused on the initial review of people with suspected skin cancer, providing a more efcient service to patients with suspicious skin lesions. Alongside the clinics, a new model of care was introduced to support patients diagnosed with skin cancer. This Skin-XL project incorporated a mix of site-based skin cancer support nurses, specialist skin cancer nurses and nurse surgeons.