Dermatologist Visit

Does anyone know the price of a dermatologist in the UK?

I am asking it because the problem I got on the skin on my right leg has become worst and now it’s spread on al the thigh. In fact, in October I contacted my GP because I had only few skin rushes on that leg but instead of giving me a referral, he gave me a prescription of a cream which didn’t work. More precisely, it made those few skin rushes on a darker colour. Let’s also add that it was an online visit in which I had to send him the pictures, it wasn’t a face-to-face visit. It was also for the pandemic but this sort of visit and the treatment also have impacted on my health, in my opinion. After few months - the time I’m writing this post now is February 2021 - the skin rushes increased and now they’re covering my whole thigh.

I’m an International student and I don’t know how the health system work and if it is effective but if you can help me with this problem I’ll be more than happy

Have you told your GP that the problem has escalated?

You could ask for another telephone consultation and perhaps send a photo of your skin as it is at the moment to your surgery's e-mail address.

Different private dermatologists will charge different prices.

Go back to your GP and explain the cream didn't help. Have they discussed medication to try (e.g. anti histamines)?

Are they usually expensive in the UK?

About the medication, they didn’t tbh but also, from the problem I have, which is now really bad, I believe that a dermatologist could help me more and direct me to possible working treatments. Also because, from what I’ve seen so far from my GP, it’s more an everlasting “let test if x works and if it doesn’t work let’s try this even if the problem is spreading everywhere”

Which part of the country are you based in?

Depends how you define expensive, but I wouldn't know specifically, I've never been to a private dermatologist (my dermatologist is NHS based).

Speak to your GP again anyway, or see a different one in the practice, you've got nothing to lose. How many times have you seen them about this issue?

In the UK I tried to be in contact with them twice and they didn’t redirect me for example to a dermatologist. This time I should try explaining them why I believe it’s really important that I go to a dermatologist at this point

I’m in West Midlands

There has to be a significant clinical reason for referral, you haven't tried all the things available to you in primary care yet by the sounds of it, that and your rash likely isn't severe (even though it is distressing still). If it gets worse or you exhaust your options, then they'll refer you. Or, you can go private. You can of course ask for a referral and they can grant it to you if they feel it's appropriate.

Although personally, I would go back to my GP, I get the impression that this is something you don't want to do.

The general guideline when looking for specialists is to choose someone who has posts in both an NHS hospital and in private practice.

I can see several people who fit this profile at a private hospital in Sutton Coldfield. I don't know whether this would suit you.

When I clicked on one who looked especially suitable, it allowed me to see available appointments and that the cost of an introductory consultation was £195.

I will send you the link by DM, if you would like this.

I really want to be visited by my gp but also, from the way he unfortunately has to visit people - so not face-to-face visits and also he admitted that it’s really challenging to diagnose something through a picture - it’s not really effective only a phone call as a visit. That’s why I’m saying that maybe a face-to-face visit where he could also see the problem I have would help him more to know the origin of the problem I have.

About private clinics, I don’t know where they are collocated but if you wish, you can send me the link. I’ll try to figure it out also with the prices also because I have to check my economic availability as unfortunately not always I can permit myself to spend £195...

In the circumstances, should you perhaps speak to the receptionists at the surgery to ask whether any of the GPs can see patients in person?

GP practices can be open in some circumstances - I have to go to mine in the morning, although not to see a GP.

So basically, that’s sound more like that they before prefer that something becomes really worse than before and sometimes this could also leave to irreparable consequences, especially with some disease when they haven’t been diagnosed on time. That’s why I believe that, when the gp is not able to find a solution, instead of leaving everything become worse, it would be better to go to a specialist. In fact, in my case, from a small and apparently insignificant small rounded black/greyish skin rush now I have many of big dimensions everywhere on the thigh that is covering this whole part without leaving space to the remaining “healthy” skin side. To be honest, especially this behaviour from the gp really worries me

It's not that they want it to get worse, it's just more milder end of the spectrum/common/self-limiting issues are more often than not dealt with in primary care. The NHS is just not built to send people to specialists with every issue unfortunately.

Unfortunately I saw this and I believe that it has pros and cons this type of system. However, I’ll try to convince my gp again to have a face-to-face visit because my problem definitely got worst and I believe that now it’s more required a more concise action before I believe that waiting would simply leave this disease to increment more and more reaching in the future a stage where it’s too late to cure it or simply a stage where all the traces of this problems remains largely