Innovative Dermatology team is making a real difference to patients
Covid-19 forced teams across UHDB to change the way they worked, but for one team based at Florence Nightingale Community Hospital, the changes have resulted in more than halving the amount of time patients wait to access their services.
The Dermatology Isotretinoin Team, which cares for patients with acne and supports them with the psychological and social impacts this has on their lives, has implemented a series of changes over the past 18 months. These changes include introducing virtual follow-up appointments and a home delivery service for prescriptions, which have improved the patient experience and noticeably reduced waiting times for patients.
These improvements led to the team being shortlisted in the Research, Innovation and Quality Improvement category at 2022's Annual Making a Difference awards and Jo McWilliam, Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist, said the team has worked really hard and deserved to be recognised.
She said: “I think sometimes Dermatology gets forgotten about but we’ve worked really hard for this. We are not cardio or surgical, but what we do makes a difference to people’s lives. There can be huge psychological and social impacts that patients can suffer as a result of acne so there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than people probably realise.”
Shona Hawkes, Lead Clinical Nurse Specialist in Biologics, works alongside Jo, and says the changes the pandemic forced on the team has transformed the service, with further improvements continuing to be made:
“We knew we couldn’t see patients face-to-face so we moved to a virtual clinic. A lot of work had to be done in preparation and it was a really popular way of working for the patients and it means that we actually see and treat more patients than we were before Covid.
“We now see lots of our patients virtually which makes a massive difference to them in terms of not having to come into the hospital for appointments. Not only is it good for the environment, but it's also more time efficient because they can do an appointment anytime, anywhere - we even had someone do it from a beach before!”
The team has also developed the ability to send prescriptions directly to their patient's homes. The medication initially gets sent to Pride Pharmacy at Royal Derby Hospital before the team then send it to the patient at home.
Jo said: “This is so much more convenient for them and means less delays for us. It is a completely new way of working but it has already had such an impact. The patients like it and so do we so all the hard work was worth it and virtual accessibility is here to stay.”
Acne and eczema can be "underestimated and misunderstood", with the lasting impact on patients often proving to be "devastating" on the mental health of patients.
Shona explained this aspect of their work can often be the most rewarding: “There is a massive link between psychology, depression and anxiety with these conditions. Acne and eczema as conditions are not life-threatening but the knock-on effects of it can be.
“If you’ve got acne and your face is covered, you don’t want to go out. Sometimes we see patients come in with their heads down and by the time they finish their treatment they are walking out of here with their heads up because their skin is clear and they’ve got their self-esteem back. They feel so much better in themselves.”
As part of Jo’s role, she helps assess patients to see if they are eligible for isotretinoin treatment which sees them take a tablet daily for six months to improve their skin.
While patients often see results within three months, the process can initially be lengthy and difficult, but Jo and Shona provide reassurance and encourage them to complete the course of treatment.
Jo continued: “It is a very effective drug but it does get worse before it gets better so we do have to let the patient know this is normal. It’s a process and is about giving them the support and encouraging them to keep going. They are always smiling at the end of it which is really nice to see.”
Jo said the transformation the Dermatology team offers to patients can be life-changing and the gratitude the team receive from patients makes the job worthwhile.
She said: “I once helped a patient who made me cry. He had eczema and was really struggling and couldn’t get out of bed because he was in so much pain. We gave him treatment and it completely changed his life and now he is training to be a nurse and wants to come back to work at UHDB. He is only young, but he says we changed his life and now he wants to help others."