Dermatology Consultant

Run consultant dermatology clinics in the community for routine adult referrals aged 18 and over, for new and follow-up patients. Diagnose and manage general dermatology conditions, including long-term follow-up of complex skin conditions and patients on specialist therapies. Review complex, uncertain or escalated cases referred by GPwERs and other clinicians in the service. Triage referrals received through NHS e-RS or a local referral support service, where the commissioner requires one, including teledermatology referrals, and return referrals that fall outside the acceptance criteria. Perform minor skin surgery in a suitable procedure room, including diagnostic skin biopsies punch, shave and incisional, excision of benign and low-risk lesions, curettage and cautery, and cryotherapy. Make sure every procedure has documented informed consent, a safety check before the procedure, and appropriate infection prevention and control. Send all excised tissue for histology unless there is a clear clinical reason not to, and track every sample to a result. Where cancer is confirmed after a biopsy or excision, refer the patient straight away to the appropriate consultant or skin cancer MDT. Act as clinical lead for the community dermatology service. Write and maintain the clinical model: referral and acceptance criteria, exclusion criteria, triage rules, pathways and discharge criteria. Work with the Head of Operations so that clinic capacity, booking rules and the Referral Hub reflect the clinical pathways. Lead clinical audit, including diagnostic accuracy, skin cancer detection, histology outcomes, minor surgery complication and infection rates, and patient outcomes. Make sure histology results are tracked, acted on and communicated to patients and GPs, with a failsafe for every sample. Train and mentor GPwERs and nurses, including supporting GPwER accreditation where needed. Provide education to local GPs, for example on referral quality, dermoscopy and skin cancer recognition.