Volume 10, Number 1

Fernanda Teixeira MD PhD Consultant Dermatologist; Ophelia Dadzie MRCP Specialist Registrar; Aikaterini Charakida MD Clinical Assistant; Gabriela Petrof MD Clinical Assistant; Anthony C Chu FRCP Senior Lecturer, Consultant Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology, Hammersmith Hospital

Acne is the most common skin condition in adolescence and affects over 80% of teen-agers.1 Scarring can occur in up to 90% of patients with acne2 and, although it is not life-threatening, it can have severe psychological repercussions, particularly during the teenage years. Yet, because acne scars are so common, many people, particularly men, are not bothered by them and do not seek treatment.

Julie D Carr Senior Dermatology Nurse Specialist, Sheffield Children’s Hospital

Atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory skin condition commonly seen in childhood. The prevalence of the condition has trebled in the past 30 years1 and accounts for an estimated 30% of all dermatology consultations.2 The hallmarks of atopic eczema are itching, dry skin, inflammation, lichenification and susceptibility to cutaneous infection.

Beverly Malone RN PhD FAAN General Secretary, Royal College of Nursing

Disorders of the skin affect most of us in varying degrees at various times, and transcend boundaries of race, culture, age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Little wonder then that the remit of dermatology nurse specialists spans the whole life-cycle, and that it encompasses essential nursing care, treatment and technical procedures, social and emotional health support, health promotion, and the physical environment in which care is delivered.

Christine Clark BSc MSc PhD FRPharmS Principal Research Fellow in Clinical Therapeutics (part-time), University of Bradford

An understanding of how drugs work is important because it can help to ensure that they are used effectively. It is often assumed that patients will know how to use topical dermatological products or that there will be adequate instructions in the pack. However, it is not unusual to find patients in dermatology clinics with bags full of tubes and pots, complaining that none of them work.

Sandra Lawton MSc RGN OND ENB 393 RN (Child) Nurse Consultant in Dermatology, Queen’s Medical Centre, University Hospital NHS Trust, Nottingham

Atopic eczema is the most common inflammatory skin disease of childhood, affecting 15–20% of children in the UK at any one time. It accounts for 30% of dermatological consultations in general practice and 10–20% of all referrals to dermatologists.1,2 As a result, patients will receive care in a variety of settings, much of which will be nurse-led, with nurses using additional knowledge and skills to provide better treatment and care to patients.3

Julie Bowman, Editor

Under the leadership of Sven-Göran Eriksson, the England football team has gone from being a losing team to a winning squad. Leadership is elusive and hypnotic – Jesus Christ and Nelson Mandela embodied humanitarian traits, unlike Saddam Hussein and Joseph Stalin who exhibited dangerous charisma.

Maggie Kirkup MBChB MRPC Consultant Dermatologist, Weston General Hospital, Weston-super-Mare

In 1998, the UK government launched the first of its rolling programme of national service frameworks (NSFs). These are inten-ded to be strategies for improving specific areas of care. The first NSF was for coronary heart disease, rapidly followed by cancer. The NSF for older people (NSFOP) was launched in March 2001 and consists of a series of standards to which all healthcare providers should aspire in caring for older people.1

Peter Lapsley Chief Executive, Skin Care Campaign, London

The UK government is committed to improving the management of people with long-term health conditions. As a result, radical and dramatic changes in dermatology services will occur over the next few years, which may affect many healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care.

Rev. Prof. Stephen G Wright FRCN MBE Faculty of Health, St Martin’s College, Lancaster. Chairman, The Sacred Space Foundation. www.sacredspace.org.uk email: Steve@sacredspace.org.uk

To what extent should we trust our instincts about our own health? Regular columnist Steve Wright discusses the conflict between science and the spirit