WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The Prosser White Dermatology Centre

The Prosser White Dermatology Centre houses two dedicated theatres and patients are offered one stop surgery or biopsy as a matter of routine.

If more complex surgery is required, consultants hold dedicated theatre lists and patients leave the unit with an agreed date and time for surgery.

Consultants triage referrals to the appropriate clinic but because each session is consultant-led, patients have rapid access to a senior dermatology opinion, if necessary.

The Nursing Team

Sister Sue Taylor and Sister Joanne Baczynski - Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse
Sister Emma Frayne runs the phototherapy and dressing service.
Sister Tracy Brown - Lead Nurse

All clinics are staffed by nurses skilled in dermatological treatment and care. In addition, senior nursing staff practice independently in nurse-led clinics, seeing both new and follow-up patients.

Skin Problems

The integrated nurse-led treatment centre sees patients with troublesome skin problems for topical treatment from Monday to Friday, and phototherapy (TL01 and hand and foot PUVA). This means patients previously to a dermatology bed at Salford Royal are now treated nearer to home as outpatients.

Skin Cancer

The Department has two Macmillan Skin Cancer Specialist Nurses, Sister Joanne Baczynski and Sister Sue Taylor who are supported by a dedicated Macmillan support worker, Cathy Sharkey. They work closely and alongside the dermatology consultants and the plastic surgeons.

Sister Baczynski undertakes a weekly Minor operations clinic for biopsies and the removal of begin lesions. Both Sister Taylor and Sister Baczynski run several clinics each week seeing new and follow up patients for diagnosis and treatment of potential skin cancers and other sun related skin problems.

Appointments

The normal waiting time for a Routine dermatology appointment is approximately 6-12 weeks, an Urgent Appointment is approximately 2-3 weeks.

An open appointment system allows patients who are already under the Dermatology Dept with intermittent or unstable skin problems to ring when the problem is active and they will be seen during the flare in emergency follow-up slots.

Please note: Patients who have booked their appointment via the Choose and Book system may have their appointment changed as all referral letters are triaged by the Dermatology Team to ensure patients are seen in a timely manner by the appropriate Clinician. This could mean for example, the appointment is redirected to a different clinician or an earlier/later date and time.

For GPs: Patients who need to be seen urgently, can be discussed with the Consultant via telephone, or by urgent referrals via the choose and book system.

Skin cancer referrals to Leigh Infirmary are made by GPs via the choose and book system. Patients are offered a suitable appointment within 2 weeks in the Skin Cancer Appointment clinic, available Monday to Friday.

When visiting, please book in at Reception. If you are a new patient, please bring with you a list of all the medications that you are currently taking and any that you have been prescribed in the past if they relate to the condition you have been referred with.

Results

Where possible, patients receive test results over the telephone, avoiding unnecessary consultations.

Support Team

The clinical team is supported by secretaries and clerical staff dedicated to Dermatology who are the first point of contact within the department and vitally important to the patient experience.

Plastic Surgery

The Plastic surgery team is provided by St Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust with Plastic surgeons based at Whiston/St Helens Hospital.

It is led by Mr J Barnes, consultant plastic surgeon supported by Dr Fatima Aloraifi, Dr Anastasios Gaitis and Dr Mo Hossain and other members of the Whiston/St Helens plastic surgery team as required. The Majority of skin cancer cross referrals from Dermatology are seen by Dr Aloraifi and Dr Gaitis in the Prosser White Dermatology Centre at Leigh Infirmary but we also hold a outpatients clinic at the Thomas Linacre Centre once weekly pm only and patients will be seen by Mr Barnes, Mrs Hamnett, Sister Taylor or one of the other members of the Whiston and St Helens Plastic surgery team including Registrars.

Patients are assessed and listed for surgery at either Leigh Infirmary(Ward 3) or Whiston/St Helens depending on availability and priority. After Surgery the patients will be seen once in clinic for the results from there surgery and it will be decided on the ongoing follow up arrangement and whether they will stay under the plastic surgery team or be passed back to the Dermatology team.

The Plastics team run parallel sessions with outpatient clinics this means that many patients with malignant lesions especially melanoma and squamous cell carcinomas can see a dermatologist and plastic surgeon in one visit.

Clinic sessions for plastic surgeons:
Tuesday AM and PM Prosser White Dermatology department.
Thursday PM Thomas Linacre centre.

Surgery days at Leigh infirmary
Tuesday AM and PM Ward 3
Thursday AM Ward 3

Contact Details