Expressions of Interest invited: Community based teledermatology

A total of £80,000 non-recurrent funding is being made available to pilot community-based teledermatology services in West Yorkshire and Harrogate.

The Cancer Alliance is proposing to pilot and audit a community-based skin pathway service in primary care, led by a GP with Special Interest (GPwSI).

The plan is to pilot the pathway in two specific areas - a high and low referral per head of population area/practice/Primary Care Network - to understand the impact on patient experience; the impact on suspected skin cancer two week wait referrals; reducing unnecessary visits to hospital, and specifically the role and input of GPwSI in this model.  

Funding allocated through the pilot can be used to fund sessional costs for GP to run the service, building/facility costs (clinic rooms, for example, as well as nurse support and administration costs. The money cannot be used to fund new dermatoscopes (where they are already in place) or services to manage non cancer conditions.

Expressions of Interest are currently being invited, with a request that each place co-ordinates their submission through a single lead, evidencing the breadth of local discussions and a collaborative approach.

Deadline for EOIs is 13^th October 2023 and assessment will be via panel review. The panel assessment process will take place in late October, with awards being made in early November 2023.  Funding received must be spent and accounted for during the current financial year, 2023/2024.

Skin services remain one of the most pressured cancer pathways in West Yorkshire and Harrogate and the Cancer Alliance is looking is looking to apply a similar ‘deep dive’ methodology to the approach already undertaken within the breast and colorectal priority pathways. This service improvement approach has been approved by the Cancer Alliance Board.

Teledermatology remains a priority in the national cancer Planning Guidance. It is specified within the skin cancer Best Practice Timed Pathway, with increased engagement from the British Association of Dermatology. A number of places and hospital Trusts are already implementing a variety of service models for teledermatology.

Download and complete a copy of the Expression of Interest form.