Dermatology

The Dermatology Specialty Delivery Group includes nominated representation (including a Clinical Lead, Management Lead and Nursing representative) from all NHS Scotland Boards providing Dermatology Services.

Processes

We will be working with NHS Boards to embed Discharge Patient Initiated Review within Dermatology services to ensure this patient centred approach is available wherever appropriate.

As part of the Digital Dermatology Accelerated National Innovation Adoption project we will also be ensuring that Boards have robust Active Clinical Referral Triage processes in place to review patient images as the use of these is enabled by the pathway.

Workforce 

Developing and supporting a skilled dermatology nursing workforce plays a key role in sustainable, high-quality dermatology services across Scotland.

A National Framework for Specialist Nursing in Dermatology has now been published by NHS Education for Scotland (NES). This framework sets out nationally agreed specialist nursing competencies at Levels 6 and 7 and provides a consistent approach to training, development and role progression for specialist dermatology nurses.

To view the National Framework for Specialist Nursing in Dermatology, follow this link to the NHS Education for Scotland website:

https://frameworks.nes.digital/specialist-nursing-in-dermatology/introduction/

Innovation

The Digital Dermatology Accelerating National Innovation Adoption project is one of the first ANIA projects to be progressed.

Digital dermatology covers the image capture, transfer (Primary to Secondary care) and triage of patients.

This project will ensure quality images are available to support dermatology triage in all regional NHS Scotland Boards.

We are also working closely with the Dermatology AI Consortium to ensure that the pathway supports AI development to allow for a further step change in patient care in the future.