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Important information for dermatology patients
From Autumn 2026, some dermatology appointments that currently take place at Christchurch Hospital will move to Poole Hospital. This move will mean more patients can be seen and waiting times will be reduced.
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If your appointment moves to another location, you will receive an updated appointment letter confirming the new location, date and time of your appointment.
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If we have your mobile number, we will send you a text notifying you of the change. If we don’t have your mobile number we will send you theupdate by post.
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Please check your appointment letter carefully in advance of your appointment date.
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You will still be cared for by the same UHD Dermatology Team
A drop-in information event for patients is being held at Christchurch Hospital in the Dermatology Unit on 24 September from 6-8pm. Dermatology patients can come along and speak to the team about the changes.
If you would like to attend, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name and contact details. Tea and coffee will be available.
For more information about the changes and why they’re happening, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) below.
Frequently Asked Questions
From Autumn 2026, we are changing the way Dermatology services are delivered to improve access to specialist expertise and enable us to care for more patients.
Dermatology services will operate through a new Hub and Spoke model. Poole Hospital will become the main Dermatology Hub, providing specialist secondary care services, including biologic treatments for psoriasis, eczema etc and complex surgery. Christchurch Hospital and St Mary's Hospital (opposite Poole Hospital) will continue to provide a range of services as Spoke sites, ensuring patients can continue to access care closer to home where appropriate.
By bringing our specialist Dermatology teams from Poole and Christchurch together, we will be able to offer more appointments, reduce waiting times and improve access to urgent skin cancer services.
Appointments will be offered at the location that best meets your clinical needs.
These changes will help ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time, from the clinician best suited to their needs. Our priority is to provide safe, high-quality care while improving the experience and outcomes for all our patients.
The changes will take effect in Autumn 2026.
Dermatology services will be provided at the following locations:
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Poole Hospital will provide complex and Mohs surgery, specialist procedures and clinics including medical dermatology, patch testing, paediatric dermatology and skin cancer appointments.
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Christchurch Hospital will provide a range of services, including paediatric dermatology, fast-track cancer appointments, skin cancer follow-up clinics, minor surgical procedures, phototherapy, and wound care clinics.
- St Mary’s Hospital will offer a limited number of clinics, including fast-track cancer appointments, skin cancer follow-up, and one-stop surgery services.
All sites will continue to provide Consultant oversight and appointments will be offered at the most appropriate location based on your care needs.
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Royal Bournemouth Hospital will provide in-patient urgent dermatology reviews with a twice weekly ward round.
It will help improve consistency of care, support closer collaboration between specialist teams, and make the best use of clinical resources while maintaining high-quality services for patients.
All your appointments will be at the location that best suits your care needs. If you require multiple appointments, this will be discussed with you at your first appointment.
If the location of your appointment changes, we will contact you with the updated details. If we have your mobile number, we will send you a text message. Otherwise, we will notify you by letter.
Please check your appointment letter carefully before attending to make sure you have the correct details.
Yes. You will continue to be cared for by the University Hospitals Dorset Dermatology Team. Your records, treatment plan and ongoing care will remain with the same service regardless of where your appointment takes place.
There is expected to be minimal disruption during the move. The plan is to manage changes carefully so services continue as smoothly as possible. If your appointment is affected, you will be contacted directly with details.
Overall, the priority is to maintain safe, high-quality care and ensure continuity of treatment throughout the transition.
Yes. You will continue to receive care from the University Hospitals Dorset Dermatology Team.
These changes are designed to strengthen teamwork, improve coordination between clinicians, and support more consistent care across the service.
The new service model will increase appointment availability across Dermatology services, including urgent skin cancer pathways. This will improve access to appointments and help reduce waiting times.
Yes. Dermatology services will continue to be provided at Christchurch Hospital.
While some clinics and specialist services will move to Poole Hospital, Christchurch Hospital will continue to provide a range of Dermatology services, including cancer fast-track appointments, skin cancer follow-up care, minor procedures, paediatrics, phototherapy and wound management clinics.
Appointments will be offered at the location that best meets your clinical needs and where the required service is available.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the changes to the dermatology service, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
A drop-in information event for patients is being held at Christchurch Hospital in the Dermatology Unit on 24 September from 6-8pm. Dermatology patients can come along and speak to the team about the changes.
If you would like to attend, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name and contact details. Tea and coffee will be available.
For travel information about how to get to any of our sites, please visit www.uhd.nhs.uk/visit. Here you will find directions, public transport information and maps of the hospital sites.
Parking is available at all hospital sites. For details about where to park, please visit www.uhd.nhs.uk/visit/parking.
Please note: As St Mary’s Hospital is across the road from Poole Hospital, the same car parks are used for St Mary’s and Poole Hospital
Dermatology at Christchurch Hospital
Service Overview
The Dermatology Resource Unit (DRU) is based on the Christchurch site. The service delivers a full range of medical and surgical treatments using four fully equipped minor operation theatres, three clinical treatment rooms and a phototherapy suite.
Patients are seen primarily in Christchurch Hospital Outpatients Department, for their initial consultation. They may then be referred for investigations/treatment. The full nursing complement undertakes a range of day treatments, the running of the methotrexate and biologic medicine clinics, leg ulcer clinic, and phototherapy, patch testing, iontophoresis, and dermatology paediatric services.
The dermatology team also manage inpatients on the Bournemouth site.
Contact us
Our Address:
Dermatology Resource Unit
Christchurch Hospital
Fairmile Road
Christchurch
BH23 2JX
Map of Christchurch Hospital – Dermatology Department highlighted in purple
Rearranging or cancelling an outpatient appointment
Rearranging or cancelling a new patient appointment
- Please call the following number: 0300 019 4738 (choose option 2)
Rearranging or cancelling a follow up appointment
- Please call the following number: Follow up patients: 0300 019 4738 (choose option 3)
Rearranging or cancelling an appointment for surgery
We strongly recommend you communicate any dates you cannot make to us at the earliest opportunity and aim to keep your original date for surgery where possible.
Rearranging or cancelling a surgical appointment
- Please call the following numbers to speak to our surgical admissions team:
0300 019 5253 [please note: this phone line is manned between 08:30-16:30]
0300 019 5486 [please note: this phone line is manned between 08:30-16:30]
Secure image transfer service
Patients
Address
Christchurch Hospital
Fairmile Road
Christchurch
BH23 2JX
Tel. 01202 486361
Where we hold our outpatient appointments
Please read your appointment letter carefully as we see patients in two locations for dermatology outpatient appointments.
If your letter says:
The Outpatient Department looks like:
The closest car park to the Outpatients Department is Car Park A.
If your letter says:
The Dermatology Resource Unit looks like:
The closest car park to the Dermatology Resource Unit (DRU) is Car Park E which is directly opposite the entrance to DRU
Before your appointment
Please bring with you details of all medications you are taking or have taken in the recent past, either for your skin or for any other condition you may have. This should include prescriptions from your doctor or other specialist, any alternative or herbal remedies and anything you have bought over the counter.
At your appointment
Your first appointment may take up to an hour. We make every effort to see you on time, but delays may occur so please allow plenty of time.
The clinician will take a full history and conduct an examination. In order to properly assess your skin problem, you may be asked to undress so that all your skin, not necessarily just the area(s) affected, can be examined. You will automatically be offered a chaperone should any intimate area of your body need examination, but in addition, please feel free to request a chaperone at any other time for any or all of the consultation.
We may request your permission to take photographs, to help form part of your clinical record or for reference in helping identify specific areas that may require treatment, such as skin surgery. These images will be stored electronically by the Hospital and shared with clinical personnel only when necessary.
It may be necessary to do additional investigations during your appointment including blood tests, skin sampling and/or skin biopsy. In these circumstances you will be provided with further detailed information.
After your appointment
If the doctor/nurse decides you need treatment, a letter will be sent to you and your GP providing a summary of your appointment outcome and explaining which medicines you may need prescribed.
Referrals
All GP referrals must be submitted using the NHS e-Referral service (formerly 'Choose and Book').
Referrals sent by post from GPs will not be processed.
Dermatology videos
Team Dermatology are currently working on some informational videos – please check back soon!
BAD Patient Information Videos
FFT scores
Dermatology
The dermatology service provides the diagnosis and management of a wide range of skin diseases for both adults and children.
From Autumn 2026, some dermatology appointments that currently take place at Christchurch Hospital will move to Poole Hospital. This move will mean more patients can be seen and waiting times will be reduced. To find out more, please click here.
The Dermatology Service is carried out at the following locations:
Studland
Poole Hospital
Longfleet Road
Poole
Dorset
BH15 2JB
Dermatology Resource Unit
Christchurch Hospital
Fairmile Road
Christchurch
Dorset
BH23 2JX
St Mary’s Hospital
St Mary's Road
Poole
Dorset
BH15 2LG
Consultants:
Dr Suzannah August
Dr Avinash Belgi
Dr Binita Guha-Niyogi
Dr Caroline Morgan
Dr Ian Pearson
Dr Rhian Sheppeard
Dr Pooja Tanna
Dermatology at Poole Hospital
The dermatology service provides the diagnosis and management of a wide range of skin diseases for both adults and children. This includes inflammatory skin diseases, skin surgery, dermatitis patch testing, laser treatment and mole mapping. Both inpatient and outpatient facilities are available at Poole Hospital.
The services offered by dermatology include:
- Diagnosis and management of skin disease in adults and children
- Skin surgery – treatment of pre-malignant and malignant skin disease under local anaesthetic
- Skin grafts
- Laser treatment of skin lesions
- Mole mapping
- Leg ulcer clinics (nurse led)
- Patch testing service
- Cryotherapy of benign and pre-malignant lesions
- Phototherapy – PUVA (topical and oral) and narrowband UVB treatment of dermatosis
- Day treatment – topical applications for inflammatory dermatosis, including wet and dry wrapping
- Photodynamic therapy of pre-malignant lesions
Please see the below documents on how to send photos to us (for Poole Hospital dermatology patients only).
- Using the secure image transfer service
- How to take a photo
- Link to Poole secure image transfer service
About eczema - the itchy skin condition
Eczema can affect people of all ages and can be a long term problem, it has a big impact on people's lives.
Eczema causes redness, dryness and itching of the skin which can affect how you sleep, your ability to concentrate and your self-confidence, particularly if it is active and getting worse (flaring). But there is help out there, the right treatment can really help a person cope with the problem, getting into good skin care habits and following a regular treatment plan can really help
In the dermatology department at Poole Hospital, doctors and nurse specialists see patients who have been referred by their GPs with difficult to control eczema. They give information about what causes eczema and can help make sense of why treatments are important and how to use them.
Advice to help control the itchy skin condition
- Avoid products that can irritate the skin (irritants) that can cause inflammation and dryness such as soap and shower gels. If you have sensitive skin, give perfumed products a miss - look for the words 'parfum' or 'aroma' in the ingredients list as even products labelled as 'fragrance-free' can contain this
- Dry skin is prone to getting eczema - regular and generous use of the right emollients (moisturisers) formulated for eczema helps to reduce the dryness that causes eczema and is a really important part of treatment. A good time to use your emollient is after bathing or showering
- Using emollient twice a day, and more often if the eczema is severe, can help to reduce the amount of steroid cream needed to treat eczema in the long run
- When showering or bathing, use products that help increase the moisture in the skin rather than normal shower gels and soaps that remove oil from the skin and dry it out. Good products to use include bath oils (non-perfumed ones), emollient-based soap substitutes and shower emollients formulated for eczema. Your pharmacist can advise about this.
- Don't use aqueous cream as a moisturiser for eczema because it contains a detergent called SLS which can irritate the skin and make eczema worse.
- Scratching and rubbing the skin when the eczema is bad can actually make the problem even worse – this is known as the 'itch-scratch cycle'.
- Don't stop using your moisturiser when the eczema settles - keeping your skin healthy on a regular basis helps to prevent future flare-ups.
Seek advice if your eczema doesn't get better. Steroid creams prescribed by your doctor can be a very important part of the treatment if the eczema is inflamed and if used in sufficient quantities can make a big difference to how the eczema is controlled.
Some treatments available for severe cases of eczema, if all other treatments have failed, include phototherapy (artificial sunlight) and tablets that help the immune system (immunosuppressants). These are given under the supervision of a dermatologist (a doctor who specialises in seeing people with skin disease and is an expert in treating skin problems).
Some common types of eczema
Infected eczema, bacterial and viral infections can cause eczema to become suddenly worse (or flare) and flares can need treatment with antibiotics as well as steroid creams and emollients.
Venous/varicose eczema - varicose (or venous) eczema can occur on the lower legs in people with varicose veins and causes an itching, redness and dryness of the skin which can sometimes be mistaken for cellulitis (infection). Like other forms of eczema, it responds to treatment with emollients (moisturiser) and steroid creams.
Lichenification is caused by scratching or rubbing the patches of eczema because it is a really itchy - this can cause thickening and creases in the skin - commonly seen behind knees and elbows.
