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Showing results for tags 'Dermatological'.
Found 12 results
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News Article
Melanoma patients in England get fast-track access to cancer vaccine
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Patients with an advanced type of skin melanoma in England will be given fast-track access to a “revolutionary” new cancer vaccine as part of an NHS trial. The vaccine, known as iSCIB1+ (ImmunoBody), helps the immune system recognise cancer cells and therefore better respond to immunotherapy treatment. The trial is part of the expansion of NHS England’s Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP), a programme to fast-track eligible patients to studies developing vaccines at their nearest participating hospital. The CVLP has already helped thousands of NHS patients access trials of a personalised vaccine against bowel cancer, with more than 350 people fast-tracked for consideration, and has now expanded to include a trial for melanoma. It aims to provide 10,000 patients in England with personalised cancer treatments in the UK by 2030. Prof Peter Johnson, the NHS national cancer director, said: “Skin cancer can have a devastating impact and we know that cancer vaccines have the potential to revolutionise cancer care for patients in this country and across the world – and to save more lives. “It’s incredibly exciting that the NHS is expanding its world-leading programme so more patients with different types of cancer could benefit from the development of new vaccines that could stop their cancer coming back. “We want to ensure as many eligible NHS patients as possible have access to these vital trials, which is why we are working with a range of industry partners as more studies get up and running to ensure patients are fast-tracked to a vaccine that could transform lives.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 14 April 2025 -
News Article
Global first as NHS hospital uses AI for instant skin cancer checks
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
An NHS hospital is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to diagnose skin cancer, enabling patients to get lifesaving checks for the disease without seeing a doctor. In a global first marking a “new era” of cancer care, staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital are now using an iPhone with a magnifying lens to take photos of any suspicious-looking moles, with the image analysed in seconds by an AI app. Nearly half of patients get the all clear and are automatically discharged with no further appointments, while those with cancer or who need further investigation are booked in to see a specialist doctor and begin treatment. Thousands of NHS patients have had urgent cancer checks using the AI tool, freeing up doctors to focus on the most serious cases and helping to bring down waiting lists. The system conducts the checks in five minutes, compared with around 20 minutes required for face-to-face examinations with a consultant dermatologist. Trials show the device called Derm, developed by UK firm Skin Analytics, is 99.9 per cent accurate at ruling out melanoma — the most serious type of skin cancer. It is the first AI technology in the world to be approved to make clinical decisions on cancer treatment autonomously, without requiring a doctor to double-check its findings. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 21 March 2025 -
Content Article
This blog by Pastest, a provider of medical exam preparation resources, explores how different organisations are developing transformative initiatives to diversify clinical practice. It highlights the results of a global survey that reveals a critical gap in dermatological diagnosis across skin tones and explores the need for a multifaceted approach to anti-racist medicine. Medical education plays a crucial role in shaping the quality of healthcare delivery. However, it's become increasingly evident that traditional approaches to medical education often fall short in adequately preparing healthcare professionals to address the diverse needs of all patients—particularly those from ethnic minority backgrounds. A ground-breaking global survey has revealed a sobering statistic: 5% of healthcare professionals feel confident in diagnosing dermatology conditions across a spectrum of skin tones. This alarming finding indicates a pressing need for enhanced inclusivity in medical education and clinical practice. In the US, five-year survival rates for skin cancer are 70% among black people and 92% among white people. The skin is often regarded as a reflection of overall health. But why are clinicians lacking proper training and frequently overlooking certain conditions in patients with Black skin? Dr Zeshan Qureshi, a renowned paediatrician and BMJ author, sheds light on medical education’s failure to address the nuances of dermatology across ethnic minority groups. His experience attending a course where materials predominantly featured patients with white skin emphasises a systemic issue in healthcare education. "Anti-racist medicine is multifaceted" Recognising the multifaceted nature of anti-racist medicine and supported by the National Health Service (NHS), the organisations—Black and Brown Skin and Pastest—are spearheading transformative initiatives to diversify clinical practice and bridge the gap in medical education. Black and Brown Skin, a dedicated advocate for diversity in healthcare, is leading the Mind the Gap campaign. This progressive effort aims to provide comprehensive resources and training modules that authentically depict diverse skin tones and conditions. By empowering healthcare professionals with culturally competent care skills, this initiative seeks to eradicate systemic biases and promote health equity. At the same time, the NHS is revolutionising medical training by embracing inclusive design principles to accurately reflect the diverse spectrum of skin tones and pathologies encountered in clinical practice. Through projects like auditing their website and funding UWE Bristol’s Reframe initiative, the NHS is committed to creating educational materials that promote comprehensive and culturally sensitive care. Aligning with these movements, Pastest—a provider of medical exam preparation resources—has launched the ‘Dermatology for Dark Skin’ project. This pioneering project aims to combat the scarcity of diverse imagery in dermatology education by curating a vast collection of images showcasing skin conditions across different dark skin tones and age groups. The efforts of these organisations represent a significant stride towards achieving health equity. While each initiative operates independently, their alignment reinforces an unyielding commitment to fostering cultural competency in medical education and practice. For further information you can contact [email protected] -
EventuntilJulie Tyrer, Tissue Viability Nurse Consultant at Liverpool Heart and Chest, NHS Foundation Trust, presents her new ‘Minimise Moisture’ initiative for raising awareness of moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) during the next Harm Free Care Network online meeting. Register
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News Article
‘Black market’ Botox scars women for life
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Practitioners with no professional medical qualifications use social media to target women and girls, an investigation by undercover Times reporters has found. The medicines regulator has begun an investigation after undercover Times reporters found beauticians offering to inject women with “black market” Botox, putting them at risk of being disfigured for life. Practitioners with no professional medical qualifications used social media to target women and girls, suggesting the treatments were safe and would enhance their looks. Many used products that have not gone through safety checks in Britain. Reporters confirmed that at least three practitioners advertising facial injections on social media sites were using cheap versions of Botox that are not licensed in the UK. Campaigners say they are receiving increasing reports of disfigurements such as permanent facial scarring and large sores caused by injections with unlicensed versions of Botox, often carried out in people’s homes and at beauty salons. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it was reviewing the findings and would “take appropriate regulatory action where any non-compliance is identified”. Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said the practices uncovered were “totally unacceptable” and officials were looking into whether legal changes were needed “to ensure no one is harmed”. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Times, 2 February 2022 -
News ArticleAt least three people died and more came to ‘severe harm’ after treatment delays across three specialties at one hospital trust, new reports have revealed. King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust commissioned harm reviews due to problems with a lack of capacity and poor management of waiting lists in endoscopy, dermatology and ophthalmology pre-pandemic. Most of the problems relate to the trust’s southern site, Princess Royal University Hospital, and took place before the current executive team took over. The most recent board papers revealed a review of 614 cases at the PRUH’s endoscopy service found seven cases of “serious harm”. This category includes death and the document revealed three patients had died. The review also “highlighted delays in endoscopy leading to delayed diagnoses of cancer” in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Investigators also found a dermatology patient came to “severe harm” after being lost to follow-up twice by the trust. Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 17 September 2021
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Content ArticleDisparities in healthcare exist because of socioeconomic factors, structural racism and implicit bias. The panelists in this video identify the problems and discuss what solutions are in place that could improve health disparities such as medical education, more training for underrepresented minority physicians, more funding for research, and fast-tracking publication of research. Furthermore, the panelists explore how the field of dermatology and other medical specialties can address these issues.
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News Article
Skin cancer apps ‘cannot be relied upon for accurate results’, study finds
Clive Flashman posted a news article in News
Smartphone apps designed to detect the risk of skin cancer are poorly regulated and “frequently cannot be relied upon to produce accurate results”, according to a new analysis. They found the apps may cause harm from failure to identify potentially deadly skin cancers, or from over-investigation of false positive results such as removing a harmless mole unnecessarily. Read full story Source: Digital Health, 14 February 2020 -
Content ArticleLittle information is available about the effect of childhood atopic dermatitis (AD) on family function. The aim of this study was to identify the areas of family life most affected and their perceived importance. Intensive qualitative interviews with 34 families were conducted and 11 basic problem areas were identified.
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News Article
The agony of women suffering with topical steroid withdrawal
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Rhiannon Kennedy-Chapman’s early twenties could hardly be described as the best years of her life. Covered in grazes, open sores and dry skin, she was at a loss as to why her body was continuously failing her, despite her efforts to follow medical advice and take her steroid medication. Having used both steroid cream and oral tablets since suffering from eczema as a child, she had little concern about the medication when she was once again prescribed it for small patches of eczema. “It worked for a bit and then it would stop working. The GP would give me a higher dose and the pattern went on for many months. I went through four different strengths – it would work for a short period of time and when I stopped using it, it would come back even fiercer. Little did she know that she was suffering from topical steroid withdrawal (TSW), a rare skin condition caused by the repeated use and cessation of steroid creams. A 2021 report by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) gave guidance on the risks of TSW and it is now included as patient information for all prescribed topical steroids. Patients can now also report their suspected reactions to topical steroids via the MHRA’s “yellow card scheme” and eczema charities have called for further research into the causes and long-term effects of TSW. Andrew Proctor, chief executive of the National Eczema Society, said it was calling on the UK medicines regulator, the MHRA, to introduce clearer strength and potency labelling of topical steroids to support their safe and effective use. “This change needs to happen and is supported by patients and healthcare professional bodies,” he said. Read full story Source: The Independent, 5 September 2023 -
News Article
Lip fillers: Call for tighter regulation after botched treatments
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Lip fillers have grown increasingly popular but the industry is "like the wild west", experts warn, with many patients left in pain and embarrassed by their appearance. As Harriet Green left a salon after getting an injection to add volume to her lips, she was reassured the excess swelling would go down. But three months later her lips were still so bloated she could not close her mouth properly. The 22-year-old from Acle in Norfolk needed three corrective procedures - costing a total of more than £700 - to get them back to normal. Dr Saba Raja, a GP who runs her own aesthetics clinic in Norwich, says she is increasingly having to correct treatments which have gone wrong, describing the experience as "really distressing". "Every month I'm getting enquires from young girls who have gone to a non-medical practitioner for lip or tear trough fillers under the eye and had complications. "They often try to contact the practitioner but due to lack of training they are unable to deal with the complications. It is becoming more and more of a problem." Dr Raja describes the industry as "like the wild west", with people injecting patients "out of the back of their cars" and in kitchens. "Anti-wrinkle injections (Botox) are prescription-only but the injector can be anybody who has been on a day course. Dermal filler (for the lips and face) is not even a prescription-only medication, you can buy it off any website," she says. "A lot of non-medical practitioners are buying cheap filler online, with no idea where it has come from. We really need strict regulations and minimum training standards." Read full story Source: BBC News, 9 May 2023 -
News Article
Investigation launched into gel nail polish allergic reactions
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The government is investigating reports that growing numbers of people are developing life-changing allergies to some gel nail products. Dermatologists say they are treating people for allergic reactions to acrylic and gel nails "most weeks". Dr Deirdre Buckley of the British Association of Dermatologists urged people to cut down on gel nail use and stick to "old-fashioned" polishes. Some people have reported nails loosening or falling off, skin rashes or, in rarer cases, breathing difficulties, she said. Although most gel polish manicures are safe and result in no problems, the British Association of Dermatologists is warning that the methacrylate chemicals - found in gel and acrylic nails - can cause allergic reactions in some people. It often occurs when gels and polishes are applied at home, or by untrained technicians. Dr Buckley said: "We're seeing it more and more because more people are buying DIY kits, developing an allergy and then going to a salon, and the allergy gets worse." The allergies can leave sufferers unable to have medical treatments like white dental fillings, joint replacement surgery and some diabetes medications. This is because once a person is sensitised, the body will no longer tolerate anything containing acrylates. Read full story Source: BBC News, 15 April 2023
