Dermatology

With conditions ranging from eczema and acne to growing rates of skin cancer in adults, dermatology has a comparatively high number of referrals for urgent diagnosis of suspected cancer. Dermatology services across the country often experience periods of high demand and pressure.

Clinical Leadership Team

Dr Minal Patel

Clinical Lead for Dermatology

Dr Minal Patel is a Consultant Dermatologist. Her areas of expertise include the diagnosis and management of all aspects of skin cancer, hair and nail disorders, paediatric dermatology and adult dermatology, with a particular focus on inflammatory skin diseases, acne and rosacea. She has specialised in dermatology for nine years and is a member of the British Association of Dermatologists and the British Hair and Nail Group.

She qualified from King’s College London in 2009 and gained experience in emergency and acute medicine before undertaking dermatology training on the South Coast. She was appointed Consultant Dermatologist at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust and is Consultant Dermatologist and Clinical Lead for Dermatology for Sussex Community Dermatology Services in North Kent.

She has a strong interest in education, having taught medical students, junior doctors, peers and GPs in the community, where she established specialised teaching sessions. She has also presented her work at national and international conferences.

Jodie Newman

Head of Dermatology

Jodie is an experienced dermatology nurse with over 12 years in the NHS and 10 years specialising in dermatology. She progressed from Band 5 to Band 8 working in various roles within the specialty, and currently serves as Lead Nurse for Dermatology at 18 Week Support and Education Nurse for the British Dermatological Nursing Group (BDNG). Her clinical competencies include phototherapy, patch testing, iontophoresis, nurse-led services, MOHS surgical support, complex case management, and holistic patient care. Jodie holds an MSc in Clinical Dermatology and is a qualified Non-Medical Prescriber. She has developed national e-learning for the BDNG including acute dermatoses and chronic skin disease and others, and is a regular contributor to dermatology education at trust and university levels, advocating for better integration of dermatology in nursing curriculums. She is actively involved in international consensus work on SJS/TEN and has contributed to the development of Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) guidelines. Her leadership extends to parliamentary work on Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) pathways and patient advocacy. A published author in journals such as the BJD, RCN, and The Guardian, and an ambassador for SKCIN, Jodie combines strong clinical expertise with service management, education development, governance, and public speaking.

What we do

Reduce your waiting list

18 Week Support’s insourced dermatology service offering includes general outpatient clinics, minor ops, two-week wait clinics and complex skin surgery.

We can see both first attendance and follow-up cases in our clinics and our consultant will follow all local referral pathways to ensure that those patients with complex skin conditions are referred to the appropriate specialist service. Our teams support across the full patient pathway from first attendance through to surgery, follow up and discharge.

Our dermatology services have been developed to support trusts with urgent cancer and routine referrals.

Our Services

Outpatient Clinics

Our teams run general dermatology clinics (rashes, inflammatory disease, acne etc.) but also cryotherapy, wound care clinics and much more.

Cancer Pathways

We provide rapid access skin cancer clinics to diagnose potential BCCs, SCCs, melanomas, or other skin cancers.

Day Case Surgery & Minor Ops

Our teams provide various surgical procedures including punch biopsy, curettage and cautery, excision biopsy, wide local excision and complex excisions with graft or flap repair.

Our Results

For almost a decade, the NHS has partnered with 18 Week Support to reduce waiting times. We’re incredibly proud of the work we do and would love to share some of our case studies with you.

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Reduce your waiting list

99.1%

Patients likely to recommend our service

99.5%

Patients satisfaction score

Dermatology Case Study in the South-West

Discover how we helped the Trust reducing their waiting list position and increase their activity by 50%.

read full case study

Testimonials

Amazing communication and collaboration since the day one. All parties involved (clinical/non-clinical) were fantastic

Service Manager, NHS Trust

The professionalism and quality provided by 18 Week Support is what sets them apart from previous insourcing providers we have worked with. The patients have all had a positive experience and good outcomes.

General Manager, NHS Trust

We are delighted with the results achieved through our partnership with 18 Week Support. They helped us meet our performance targets and significantly enhanced patient satisfaction and staff morale.

Director of Operations, NHS Trust

Governance

We have a robust clinical governance framework to continually support, improve and drive forward the highest standards of care for our patients and we work with our customers and partners to monitor experiences and outcomes. On those occasions when incidents, complaints or concerns arise around patient care we act swiftly, encouraging a culture of continuous learning.

find out more

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