Dermatology and Plastic Surgery (Skin Service)

COVID-19 - Advice for patients of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery

COVID-19 - Advice for patients of Dermatology and Plastic Surgery PDF version

Advice to patients awaiting appointments or surgery

Please do not visit the Department unless you have been specifically asked to come in. If you are unsure whether you should attend the Department, please call +44 1624 650840 or email skin@gov.im

Booked Clinic Appointments

If you have a clinic appointment scheduled for Dermatology or Plastic Surgery this will have now been cancelled. We will be in touch to inform you of a new appointment date and time. It is likely that this will be a telephone consultation, although in some instances we may ask you to come in. 

Before a telephone consultation we may ask you to send a photograph of the area in question to help facilitate your discussion. You can send these to skin@gov.im.

Please enter your initials and date of birth in the email subject box (for eg AA 09/09/1999) to help us identify you. If you are unable to send us photographs please be reassured that we will find alternative measures. 

It may help to use the speaker phone facility on your phone (if you have one) whilst having the consultation, as your Consultant may ask you to physically examine yourself. You may wish to have someone with you who can help and support you with this. It may help to prepare for your consultation by checking this facility on your phone. If this facility is not available on your phone, please be reassured that the consultation will still be possible. 

We want to keep the number of the patients in the Department to a minimum, to keep both patients and staff safe. If you do need to come to visit the Department for your appointment, we will be putting in place standard social distancing measures. If you are asked to come to the Department for an appointment but are shielding/self-isolating, please contact us on +44 1624 650840. 

GP Referrals 

If you have been referred to Plastic Surgery or Dermatology by your GP and are awaiting an appointment, you will hear from us shortly. If you have been referred as a 2 week wait or urgent, we will prioritise your telephone consultation. If you have been referred as routine by your GP, your waiting time is expected to be between 6 months and 1 year. If your dermatological symptoms change and you are concerned, please contact your GP. 

Surgery 

Based on recommendations from the Royal College of Surgeons and Merseyside & Cheshire Cancer Alliance, we are in the process of reviewing all patients listed for surgery. It is likely that the date of your surgery will change, and we will be in touch with either a new date or an estimate of when your surgery will take place. We want to assure you that any decisions we make to move your date of surgery is to ensure your safety and minimise your risk. 

If you require dressings post-surgery, we will discuss this with you on the day of your operation. 

Contact details

Secretary Tel: +44 1624 650 840

Outpatient Appointments Tel: +44 1624 650103

Email: skin@gov.im.

Skin Service

The Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Department (the Skin Service) treat a range of differing skin and soft tissue conditions, including chronic skin disorders such as psoriasis, acne, eczema etc and all skin cancers. The Service has links with tertiary plastic surgery & dermatology departments in the UK, along with the Regional Cancer Alliance, to facilitate the management of complex cancers and provide UK standards of care.

The Service was set up in 2018 and is based primarily at Ramsey District Cottage Hospital, with some clinics being held at Noble’s Hospital. This service was preceded by a minimal service with a monthly visiting Dermatologist and Plastic Surgeon.

The Skin Service offers the following:

• Dermatology clinics and minor surgery
• Plastic Surgery Clinics
• Skin cancer surgery and reconstruction
• Plastic Surgery Dressing Clinic
• Isle of Man Burns Service
• Specialist Nurse led Dermatology Clinics – for dermatological drug monitoring
• Specialist Nurse led Skin Cancer Monitoring Clinics
• Local Skin Multi-Disciplinary Team – for the management of complex skin cancers in line with UK standards who engage with the Specialist Skin Multi-Disciplinary Team in the UK
• Reconstructive Services (for cancers and trauma) to support other specialties
• Phototherapy

Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Team

Skin Service Activities

We have successfully undertaken activities to address the needs of the Island’s residents, as follows:

• Reduction in waiting time – from a four year waiting time down to less than one year, since the project began in August 2019.
• Provision of cancer surgery and reconstruction at both Ramsey Cottage Hospital and Noble’s Hospital.  This service provides UK standard of surgical care on the Island.
• Introduction of nurse led clinics to support specialist areas – a bespoke service for patients with complex dermatological conditions.
• Introduction of dressing clinics to support skin cancer services and burns – a critical service to support plastic surgery and burns management on the Island.
• Development of dermatology pathways to optimise patient care and enhance patient support.
• GP education and training with extended role in dermatology – the Skin Service is building robust links with GPs and community services to provide holistic care both at the Skin Centre and also in the community. GPs with extended roles (GPwER) will be trained and will provide support to local services.
• Tele-dermatology service is being fast-tracked to support the service during the COVID-19 crisis and after.

Contact us

If you are already a patient and have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact us through our secretarial team.