Seeing a dermatologist privately

Mazgg

Callistimon21
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to find this out. When I checked out bisoprolol it indicated that it could trigger a certain type of psoriasis if it was already present. I will take the information you have given above to my GP and hopefully she will act on it.
It would be wonderful if that was the cause as I'm sure an alternative medication could be found.

It can be so distressing, Mazgg

When I was pregnant I had a widespread rash on my face, possibly rosacea but never properly diagnosed back then by the dermatologist, and I had to wait until I'd had the baby and finished breastfeeding before I had a long course of antibiotics. It was red, shiny and itched especially at night.
Then before that same DD's wedding I got it again! Stress or hormonal, they weren't sure. But that was red, shiny and itchy and cleared up with rosacea cream, thankfully.

So I can sympathise and hope they can diagnose and treat it asap.

I rang the hospital that my GP originally referred me to (Newcastle RVI) to find out when I would be likely to be seen. They are currently seeing patients referred in February 2022. I was referred my May 2023 so it would be probably 15 months time. Makes the 6 weeks to be seen privately look like a good bet.

I would thoroughly recommend, checking which NHS consultant you expected to see before getting a private consultation.

DD had serious problems her GP was not taking seriously, so she found out who the NHS consultant was at her local hospital. This meant he had access to her medical records and scans when she saw him privately. After seeing her, he treated her condition within the NHS, and with the seriousness it required, which her GP was not

In the meanwhile, because he was being seen privately he had the time to discuss her condition with her in detail, all the possible treatments and the one most suitable for her. That discussion alone eased her worries and meant she found the wait for NHS treatment less worrying.

If you were referred three months ago you ought to have heard something by now. Even if there is a long waiting time for an actual appointment, you surely should have received an acknowledgment regarding the referral.

Contact the Bookings Department and make enquiries to determine the waiting time before going private; there is a possibility that your referral has been overlooked, it does happen.

Callistimon21
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to find this out. When I checked out bisoprolol it indicated that it could trigger a certain type of psoriasis if it was already present. I will take the information you have given above to my GP and hopefully she will act on it.
It would be wonderful if that was the cause as I'm sure an alternative medication could be found.

University of Bonn
Summary:
Beta-blockers are often used to treat high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. However, in some patients they can trigger or exacerbate psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191107122632.htm
I'm surprised your GP didn't think of this as a possible cause.
It may not be the reason, of course.

At about the same as this started I was prescribed beta blockers. When I queried the possibility of a connection my GP said that if that was the case it would have been all over and not localised. I forgot to add that I am not overweight and thankfully haven't got large breasts.

Have you had any changes in medication which you take?

I presume you've tried everything like changing your washing detergent, not using fabric conditioner, not wearing man-made fabrics, checking to see if it's worse if you eat certain foods.

Apologies if I'm stating the obvious.

Six weeks is a long time if that is a private appointment. Has anyone taken skin scraping for testing?

A friend's DH had a widespread rash which the GP diagnosed as stress eczema although my friend thought it was psoriasis. No said the GP.
She asked for a second opinion and the hospital doctor said immediately that it was psoriasis.

I take antihistamine every night. I use a cream prescribed by the doctor to wash with. Always dry myself really well and use a hairdrier on a low setting to finish off. I've had antifungal tablets, 8 tubes of daktacort, antibiotics, steroid cream and now use a menthol cooling cream (prescribed) which cools it for about 10 minutes. The skin in dark red, shiny and hard. It extends from my breasts and goes down to my groin, only on my front. My breasts are hard and painful.
Thank you all for the care you have shown and for the kind suggestions.

Have you tried antihistamine tablets, Mazgg?

The cost is £200 for the initial consultant but a further wait of 6 weeks before he can see me. I was disappointed to have to wait but can't see an alternative.

Just seen the updates.
I'm surprised but perhaps it is reassuring in a way.

DD was seen the next day by a private Consultant Dermatologst- the one she would have seen on the NHS!

Urmstongran

You could ring the Bookings Office and see where you are in the queue and get a rough idea of your appointment date? I used to work as PA to 4 consultant dermatologists. Between them they saw every referral letter that came in and would write on each one ‘routine’ ‘soon’ or ‘urgent’. These letters (paper in those days) went back to the Bookings Office the same day to go on the appropriate lists. If patients rang to enquire then they were told of their allocated priority. If they chose to go privately to be seen I used to give them 2 or 3 telephone numbers so they could ring the dermatologist’s private secretary to enquire about fees and dates. Good luck, whatever you decide. Your quality of life will determine your need.

The answer here is often "how long is a piece of string"!

Dermatology may be much quicker than other departments, of course, and I'm surprised you have heard nothing, Mazgg, if the GP flagged this up as urgent.

The surgery was very slow here, not the GP but the practice nurse and the receptionist who were both what I can only term as obstructive, but a GP urgent referral resulted in a dermatology appointment within 10 days.

Try phoning the Consultant's secretary.

Has anyone heard of Bleach Baths
I can understand the science behind it.

dermnetnz.org/topics/bleach-baths-in-patients-with-skin-infections

Is your condition under your breasts, possibly a sweat rash that has become infected.
I had this recently and it was awful. My doctor over the phone prescribed Trimovate which is an antifungal/cortisone/ antibiotic cream. It helped but not a lot. I was about to speak to the Dr again when I spoke to a friend. She suggested I wash the area with warm water with a dash of antibacterial Fairy Liquid. Then make sure it was absolutely dry. I used my hairdryer on cool to be very sure. I then applied the cream and lay down for about 20 minutes to let it sink in. No clothes until it had sunk in. Within days it had improved.. Now two weeks later it's just about gone. I'm wearing my underwear again.
My friend's father is a farmer who uses the solution to make sure his byres were as clean as possible. My friend used it when her children a rash or a scrape.

Apparently only cancer patients are deemed urgent. I fully agree that someone with a potentially life threatening condition should have priority.
On the other hand it is disheartening to know that I have had this very uncomfortable condition for such a long time and now have another six weeks of itching and burning and broken sleep. I feel that I have missed a whole summer because of it. At 81 I don't want to miss out on anything.
As a diagnosis hasn't yet been made (GPs say they are flumoxed) how can an accurate category be chosen? My GP referred it as urgent because of the level of discomfort I was experiencing.

On the other hand - one could be grateful a dermatologist has deemed the case ‘routine’? Not urgent. Not even ‘soon’ (when they put that, it’s thought be routine but ‘on the safe side’ just seen a tad sooner to check all is well). I think I’d be heartened and wait.

It is just so so wrong.

I totally respect those who do use private health service, because they feel they have no choice. But the choice should be there to be seen on NHS. And some Consultants very deliberately keep their NHS waiting list VERY long- to encourage force, peopple to go private.

that would be the same one you would see on nhs. You should look up a private hospital in your vicinity and ring reception and ask to book a private appointment with a dermatologist. I'm afraid it will cost a lot more than £200 though.
You may still get no better treatment than nhs though it would be within 2 weeks in my experience.

They charge a larger bill if they know you have insurance than if you don't.

An update on the situation. My GP sent a referral letter to the local Nuffield Hospital and I heard quickly from them
- to ask whether I was self funding or had insurance!
Told them I was paying for it myself and have now got an appointment with a dermatologist who also works in the dermatology department at the local hospital where I was first referred to. Could be the same consultant I would have seen on the NHS.
The cost is £200 for the initial consultant but a further wait of 6 weeks before he can see me. I was disappointed to have to wait but can't see an alternative.

I'd look up your local private hospitals and browse the info on all of the dermatologists.
Find out when they have their clinics and availability. You don't need your doc to chose the specialist.
Years ago a Dermo specialist said it's not the most popular career so there can be high demand

I just rang our local private hospital and booked an appointment. £200 for a consultation with the top dermatologist.
Unfortunately for me she misdiagnosed a BCC as ‘no problem there’ so my treatment was delayed. Even private dermatologists can get it wrong but not often.

Private health companies can be very restrictive about what you can have done and where ie your choice is limited. Doc friends said it is better to save the money every month and then you have freedom of choice and consultant

DH is on a waiting list to see a consultant. We asked Google which consultant he'd probably see locally on the NHS and found out where the same consultant worked privately. We then rang the private hospital and got an appointment within a fortnight for under £300. This consultant is willing to push you up the NHS list once you've seen him privately if you need further treatment and he deems it urgent.
There is now longer to wait for private appointments as those whom can afford it are taking this route more often.

I think youngsters should be advised to take out private health insurance as well as private pensions as soon as possible.

Fed up with having appointments put back and probably over a year until I can get my very painful hip replaced. I have bitten the bullet and decided to go private.
I spoke to some people who had had replacements and they recommended a hospital and or a surgeon.
I looked up the hospital of my choice and found that I could book an appointment on line with no referral from my GP.