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Dermatology (skin) Services

The Dermatology department is based at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital and offers a wide range general and specialist outpatient services, supported by a dedicated team of specialist and dermatology nurses. The department is actively involved in junior doctor/nursing teaching and in recruiting patients for clinical research studies. Some clinics are also offered at other sites throughout the trust.

Contact us

Telephone: 01227 783167

Urgent Skin Cancer Clinic

We provide a rapid access clinic three times a week at the Friends Dermatology Centre at Canterbury for any patient referred by the GP with suspicious skin lesion. In line with government guidelines this appointment should be within 2 weeks.

A history is taken and examination performed, then if necessary we can perform diagnostic or curative surgery of suspicious lesions on the day of attendance if we have capacity.

Information and advice

Consultants
Dr Asha Rajeev

Dr Saul Halpern
Dr Andrew Birnie

Siao Pei Tan

Dermatology Matron
Tracey Anderson

Ward Manager
Karen Goddard

Specialist Nurses
Kim Peate
Valerie Ellis
Nina Hayes
Jennifer Murphy
Rebecca Carty
Claire Harper-brown
Jodie Green
Natasha White

The dermatology vulval clinic specialises in diagnosing and treating all types of vulval skin problems. The clinic is run by Dr Nicola Smith and Dr Kathleen Sands on the first and second Thursday of each month in the Friends Dermatology Centre, Kent & Canterbury Hospital. Ladies are referred by their GP or hospital specialist.

Outpatient dermatology services are provided at: 

Research

The Dermatology department in East Kent is very active in clinical research.  This enables our patients to be involved in clinical trials using new treatments for difficult dermatological conditions.  We are proud that our department is the lead recruiter to studies within the whole of Kent, Sussex and Surrey region for 2014-2015.  We are the lead recruiters in the UK for our eczema study investigating the relationship between food allergies and genetics in children with atopic eczema and in September 2015 we were the lead recruiters to BADBIR which is a database of patients taking systemic (oral treatment or injection treatment) for psoriasis.

 Currently our department is involved in studies in the following areas:

  1. Psoriasis (BADBIR, IMAP, BSTOP, ACCRUE and new biologic agents)
  2. Atopic eczema (susceptibility genes for atopic eczema and food allergies)
  3. Rosacea  (MUSE)
  4. Vitiligo (Hi-Light)
  5. Urticaria (AWARE)

Please talk to your doctor or nurse in clinic if you would like further information about any of our clinical trials and/or you would like to be involved.  You can also contact the research team by e-mail ekh-tr.EastKentResearchTeam@nhs.net

Training

We established a new Dermatology training programme for Dermatology Specialty Registrars in 2010. We are proud that this was the first Higher Specialist Training Rotation within the Kent, Sussex and Surrey Deanery programme. Dermatology trainees spend 4 years in East Kent rotating between the East and West Kent Hospitals to ensure that they have completed all their training to become Consultant Dermatologists.  

It is very competitive to gain a place on a Dermatology training programme and our trainees are highly motivated and contribute greatly to the Dermatology care given to patients in East Kent. You may be seen by a Dermatology Specialty Registrar rather than a Consultant in clinic but be assured that they are experienced and work closely within the team to ensure appropriate and excellent care.