Initial consultation

This is your first consultation with us, and we look forward to seeing you.

You will be asked to complete a registration form – please ensure you complete this fully, as this will form a part of your medical record. At some venues, there may be two registration forms to complete – one for Midland Skin Ltd (our clinic) and one for the facility.

The doctor will then meet you (physically or remotely) to carry out an assessment of your condition. Your doctor will discuss the condition first and then examine the problem area.

Sometimes it is necessary to examine your entire skin. Prepare in advance by wearing easy-to-remove clothing. Please remove make-up before you attend if you require a facial skin assessment or any form of facial treatment.

If you have opted to have a video or telephone consultation, then ensure you have supplied photographs of the condition which are clear and in focus.

The purpose of the initial consultation is to enable an initial assessment of your condition. With the information ascertained at this consultation, we endeavour to provide you with a specialist opinion on your diagnosis, and if possible, we will recommend a treatment plan.

Sometimes, a diagnosis or treatment plan is not reached at your first consultation. An exploratory discussion will take place, and you may be invited to have further investigations, see fellow specialists for an opinion, and return for follow-up consultations (see below also).

Initial consultation appointment types

Medical advice is only provided at a booked consultation. Here are the initial consultation appointment types we offer:

  • Dermatology consultation – for a single concern of the skin or nails, mole checks, or rashes. If you have multiple separate problems, please let us know in advance, as multiple appointments/appointment types may be required (see below). Please note we do not offer consultations for body pigmentation concerns.
  • Children’s dermatology consultation
  • Hair loss consultation
  • Acne consultation
  • Remote consultation – either by telephone or by video
  • Specialist skin surgery consultation – required before specialist skin surgery such as excision of cyst, lipoma, skin lesion, or skin cancer
  • Aesthetic consultation – consultation for the signs of ageing, wrinkles, and unbalanced facial features and proportions with non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as Botox, fillers, lasers, and Tixel
  • Acne scar consultation – an acne consultation is required for those with active acne

If you have multiple conditions, please make us aware at the time of booking so we can schedule sufficient time – a separate consultation fee is charged for each appointment type.

Appointments available from us are for a single episode of care. About 50% of those attending an initial consultation will need to come back for a follow-up consultation. There is more information about follow-up consultations below.

We offer medical advice at consultations

We try to help as many of those with skin and hair loss conditions as possible, but at all stages, we have to be realistic and ask you to be the same. We need to assess you in order to provide you with relevant advice.

We only offer medical advice at a booked face-to-face or remote consultation. We do not offer advice via email correspondence, and we ask you only to submit photographs if we have requested these from you.

There will be instances where strong evidence for treatments does not exist, or our clinic does not offer a form of treatment you require – you will be advised of this, and if possible, we will let you know of other providers who may be able to assist you.

If it is clear from your enquiry that we cannot assist you, then we will let you know this. It is not possible for us to predict which treatment may be suitable for you (if there is one) without being assessed at a consultation, where your concern can be evaluated. We offer no guarantee of a particular outcome from any consultation or treatment. If you are not sure whether a private dermatology consultation is for you, then we ask you to speak with your GP, who may be able to guide you and refer you accordingly.

We are not an emergency service so if you need medical advice urgently and before your initial appointment, you are advised to seek emergency care from your primary care provider or another suitable service provider.

To obtain the most out of your appointment, please ensure you have filled out your medical registration form fully and brought with you lists of previous and current medications.

Prescriptions for medications

Medications are only prescribed during a consultation once your doctor has adequate knowledge of your health and condition. A particular medication is only prescribed if it is suitable for a person in their current situation.

We ask that you do not assume that a particular medication will be prescribed at a consultation, as this will be down to the medical assessment made by your doctor.

We also do not necessarily continue prescriptions for medications you may have been prescribed elsewhere, including from overseas or online providers. You are advised to bring your full medical records with you so that your request can be properly evaluated. You may be asked to seek assistance from your original prescriber in some instances.

We offer safe aesthetic and surgical procedures

A lot of our practice is procedural. We work with you to advise you of the benefits and risks, to help you make an informed decision about undertaking any procedures. There is a lot of information on our website to help you reach your decision.

In some instances, we may be able to offer you a same-day procedure with your initial consultation.

Chaperones

We are committed to providing a safe, comfortable environment where the patients and staff can be confident that best practice is always followed.

All patients are entitled to have someone else with them for any consultation, examination or procedure. This person is called a chaperone. The clinic has trained members of staff who can act as chaperones. The chaperone may occasionally be a relative or friend.

If you plan to have a friend or relative accompanying you to your appointment, then we ask you to limit this to one additional person only.

If you would like a chaperone to be present, please tell us when you book your appointment or let the doctor know before the start of the consultation.

In some circumstances, the doctor may require a chaperone to be present. If during the consultation, an examination is required, the doctor will offer to provide a chaperone for this purpose.

You may request to see our Chaperone policy at any time. Please ask any member of staff.

Follow up consultations

Appointments are available from us for a single episode of care on a pay-as-you-go basis.

About 50% of patients will require one or more follow-up consultations. More information on follow-up appointments, and the circumstances when a follow-up appointment is required, can be found here.

Many skin conditions require ongoing assessment, medical advice, and treatment – and you will require follow-up consultations for these. Conditions may flare, or there can be reactions to medications, and a follow-up consultation will be necessary for these instances too.

A follow-up consultation may be required as quickly as one week after your first consultation or a few weeks or months later.

We ask you to consider the cost of follow-up consultations when choosing to embark on private medical care.

We are not able to advise you in advance of your attendance as to whether you will need follow-up consultations or not. It is best to err on the side of caution and assume you will need one or more follow-up reviews, depending on your condition.

We do not offer E-mail consultations or ongoing clinical care over E-mail correspondences.

If you are attending for a procedure, injectable or laser treatment, and you also require a dermatology consultation or medications review then please call the office to add a dermatology consultation to your booking.

Due to regulatory requirements, you will need to be seen a minimum of once a year to obtain a prescription from us. You will normally be advised when a follow-up appointment is required at your consultation, and this will be provided to you in your consultation report. You will need to have an appointment every 12 months to remain an existing patient of the practice. If you have not been seen in over one year, you will be booked in as a new patient at the cost of a new appointment.

Remote consultation

Video and telephone consultations are available – please find out more about these here.

Fees

We are a private practice. All appointments and treatments are charged for on a pay-as-you-go basis.

We are transparent with our fee structure, and you can review an indication of our fees for common services here. Fees are required for the following:

  • Initial consultations – appointments are for a single episode of care, and further appointments are required if further clinical advice is required.
  • Follow up consultations
  • Investigations and tests – this includes blood tests, biopsies, skin swabs, scans, Xrays
  • Procedures – this includes steroid injection, laser treatment and any surgical procedure.
  • Medications – normally paid to the pharmacy
  • Repeat prescriptions
  • Additional administration that we agree to do

Investigations and tests

Investigations and tests are recommended for 50% of patients. These are offered if they will assist in the diagnosis or treatment of your concerns. These may be carried out on the same visit or at a separate visit, and you will be advised on the costs of tests at your consultation. The prices for investigations and tests are in addition to your consultation fees.

Up-to-date prices can be found here.

Treatments and procedures

30% of patients may require some treatment, such as a minor procedure or injection. The fees for treatments are in addition to the consultation fee.  Our price schedule is available here.

If you are insured, you will require pre-authorisation for any treatments, which means it is not usual to have same-day procedures.

If you are insured, your consultation may not take place in an insurance-registered facility though your treatment, if required, will.

Medications

Most medications will be prescribed to you, and for your convenience, the private prescription is sent to an online Pharmacy provider who will post items to you. You will receive a price for the medications by text and email as soon as the prescription is sent.

You will need to pay the Pharmacy directly for your medications.

Private medications are not charged at the NHS rate and the NHS exemptions or prepayments cards do not qualify.

Some bespoke medications are ordered via the Clinic by special order.

Clinical Photographs

Clinicians are required to take photographs (and occasionally video) to document the concerns you have, observe them over time, and monitor the effects of treatment. Photographs form an essential part of your care and form part of your medical records. They remain confidential, similar to the rest of your medical records. Your consent for clinical photographs for your medical care will be taken at the time of your completing the registration form. Photographs are taken only of the area being treated in a way that is as unidentifiably as possible. Photographs are not used for other purposes, such as education or wider publications, without your additional consent.

Writing to you and your GP

For all medical consultations, it is our practice to send a copy of the clinical noting made that includes the observations recorded at your consultation as well as the recommendations made. These are contemporaneous notes.

Clinic notes are despatched by email, usually within 2 days of your appointment, with a password sent to you by text. If you have not provided an email address, then we expect you to receive them within 7 working days of your appointment by Post. If you have not received your letter, please contact us after 7 working days of your visit and a further copy will be posted.

We encourage all our patients to consent to allow communication with their GP so that a copy of their clinic record can be sent to their GP and you.

This is because the outcome of the consultation and treatments you receive from us may have a bearing on your current or future health concerns. Your health may be at risk if your GP is unaware of any treatments you may be on.

If you have agreed to GP communication, then we will dispatch a copy of the clinic note to your GP by post within 5 days of your appointment.

If you require additional reports or letters, for example, for an employer, university or insurance, then we may be able to offer this though you should check with us first. The price for additional reports and letters is in our fee schedule.

Sending us information ahead of your appointment

If you have sent us additional information relating to your concern before your appointment, such as reports, photographs, notes, correspondence from other doctors, blood results etc., then these will be filed in your records so they are available to your doctor at the time of your consultation.

These materials are reviewed at the time of your consultation as part of your consultation.

They are not reviewed in advance.

If you have a substantial amount of materials that need to be reviewed (more than one A4 report or letter), we will contact you to purchase additional time at your consultation to review materials.

Time frames

We will answer your queries as quickly as possible and endeavour to respond within 2 working days. If it is apparent that you require a follow-up consultation, you will be advised to book an appointment accordingly.

We will dispatch your clinic letter within 2 days if this is by email or 5 working days if this is by post. Your GP is copied in if you have provided the permissions, which takes 5 days to dispatch.

Repeat prescription requests will be assessed within 2 working days from when they are received. A repeat prescription is raised or dispatched within 2 working days of payment.

If you require blood tests before an appointment and you choose to have them elsewhere, then we ask you to book these in good time with your blood test provider.  We advise you to allow between one and two weeks’ notice for booking routine blood tests privately  – though you should check with the provider.

Private medical insurance

In some instances, we will be able to see you under private medical insurance for growths and cancerous lesions of the skin. However, we do not offer hair loss (trichology), acne or acne scarring consultations under insurance. We also do not offer children’s dermatology consultations under private medical insurance.

Emergencies

We are not an emergency medical service. If you need emergency assistance, we ask you to contact your GP, A&E, 111 or 999.

Similarly, we ask you to plan your follow-up appointments and blood tests in good time to avoid interruption to your treatment.

Interpreters

If you are unable to communicate in English and require a foreign language interpreter, then please inform the administrative staff, who will provide you with details of professional interpreting services that you can book for your appointment. While there will be additional costs to you, we recommend that you use a professional interpreter to ensure the accuracy and impartiality of interpreting. A professional interpreter also minimises the risk of misinterpretation.

Feedback and complaints

We welcome feedback, positive and negative. We are also very keen to find out about any suggestions you may have. You can speak to a member of staff or contact us in writing.

You can find out more about making a complaint here. Our complaints policy can be reviewed here.

As we are regulated by the CQC (Care Quality Commission), you can also leave feedback with the CQC here.

Children

The Clinic accepts patients under the age of 18y. Unfortunately, as there are no childcare facilities unless the appointment is for a child, please do not bring any children with you to appointments.

Arriving late

Please attend on time. We will do our best to see you if you attend late, though the time available with the doctor will be reduced. If you are more than 10 minutes late, then the doctor may not be able to see you out of respect for the patient booked after you, and you will be asked to rebook at your expense.

Zero tolerance

We have a zero-tolerance policy which you are encouraged to be familiar with.

Cancellation and changes

We will need to know by 10am on the working day before your appointment if you wish to cancel or change your appointment, and we will provide you with a refund of your deposit or prepayment. Failure to cancel or change  your appointment by 10am on the preceding working day will result in a loss of your prepayment or deposit. There are no exceptions to the cancellation policy. Please note that the cancellation fee also applies if you are using private medical insurance – and you (rather than your Insurer) will be liable for late cancellation or non attendance fees.

Repeat prescriptions

Repeat prescriptions can be requested under certain circumstances, once between appointments, for medications other than Isotretinoin. If you require a repeat prescription from this practice, then an administration fee of £30 applies. More information on repeat prescriptions can be found here.

Terms and conditions

Please review our full terms and conditions here.

Privacy Policy

Please review our privacy policy here

And finally…

We look forward to meeting you and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for choosing Midland Skin