Are you worried about a mole?

July 29, 2014 By Skin Surgery Clinic Team

WORRIED MOLE BLOG IMAGE

Don’t leave it too long to get it checked out. Melanoma is relatively rare, but is becoming more common. There are currently almost 13,000 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK and it is one of the most common cancers in people aged 15-34. More than 2,000 people die every year in the UK due to melanoma.

THE ABCDE CHECK

A IS FOR ASYMMETRY
Are both halves of the mole the same size & shape? A melanoma is often asymmetrical.

B IS FOR BORDER
Is the border of the mole even? Melanomas tend to have an uneven or crusty border.

C IS FOR COLOUR
Is the mole uniform in colour? A melanoma will often contain a variety of colours.

D IS FOR DIAMETER
What size is the mole? A melanoma is often larger than a pencil eraser, but can be smaller

E IS FOR EVOLVING
Has the mole changed? Get a mole checked if it has changed shape, colour, has become itchy, bleeds or has a scab.

Do I need a referral from my GP to have a mole privately removed?

June 12, 2014 By Skin Surgery Clinic Team

A question that we are often asked at the clinic:

The simple answer is no, a GP referral is not necessary. Many of our patients do come to us with a referral from their GP, but it is not a requirement. We are medically registered to be able to treat you if you self-refer to us.

“There is an increasing prevalence of skin cancers in the UK, so non-suspicious (benign) moles are very rarely removed on the NHS. To get a benign mole removed, you would almost always need to do so privately and will be charged a fee.” (Source: NHS UK)

At the Skin Surgery Clinic, consultations and procedures are always carried out by a GP or a Consultant. There will be no difference in the level of care that you will receive and the information that you will be given about your mole, whether you go to your own GP or come and see us, except perhaps that our Doctors have a special interest in skin concerns and see a greater number of moles in their daily practice.

There will be no change to your future eligibility of free NHS services if you choose to seek private treatment for mole removal.

GP Educational Evening, 25th March 2014

March 27, 2014 By Skin Surgery Clinic Team Leave a Comment

This Tuesday, we hosted an exclusive educational event for GPs and Doctors at our Skin Surgery Clinic, (at Good Skin Days in Guiseley, Leeds.)

The event was well attended and speakers included Professor Andrew Wright; Consultant Dermatologist from Bradford Hospitals Trust and an esteemed member of our medical board at Good Skin Days. Professor Wright led a talk on benign skin lesions, the NICE guidelines for the treatment and referral of skin lesions and finished with an insight into the topical treatment of benign and pre-cancerous skin lesions.

Our Medical Director, Mr David Watt, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Bradford Royal Infirmary, continued with an interesting talk on skin lesions; how to decide whether they are benign or suspicious for malignancy and also in the surgical pitfalls in the treatment of skin lesions.

Live laser treatments of benign skin lesions were carried out by Dr Andy Smith, GPwSI Minor Surgery.

Welcome to the new Skin Surgery Clinic website

May 29, 2013 By Skin Surgery Clinic Team

We are proud to announce the launch of the new Skin Surgery Clinic website. We have based the website around providing our current and future patients with as much useful information for each of the treatments we currently offer. We have focused heavily on providing you with lots of before and after pictures and patient stories and will continue to add to our site on a weekly basis.