Delivering High Impact Interventions at Scale: Teledermatology

The Challenge

There was a significant challenge in recruiting qualified clinicians to Norfolk as it can be perceived as an area to complete, rather than commence a career. This coupled with a marked increase in dermatology referrals meant that patients were waiting well over 18 weeks for a routine dermatology appointment.

The Solution

Xyla Elective Care was called upon by North Norfolk Primary Care (NNPC), to support the transformation of the services and offer an alternative and innovative pathway that:

• Provides a capacity solution to ‘decompress’ current pressures in dermatology across the Norfolk & Waveney System.

• Develops and operates, in partnership with ‘new’ Primary Care organisations (e.g. PCNs) and existing Acute Hospital Services, a dermatology pathway that is highly accessible and appropriately rooted in Primary Care.

• Enables local services to sustainably deliver the revised pathway beyond the pilot phase.

Over several months, our senior managers and lead clinician worked very closely with the NNPC, Norfolk & Waveney CCG and key stakeholders from the acute hospitals in Norfolk to design the service. As the chosen delivery partner to the NNPC for this innovative service, we produced key documents that were required to ensure the success of the service. These included teledermatology guides for primary care referrers and patients, dermoscopy guidelines, teledermatology consent forms and many other learning resources.

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