Dermatologist follow up appointments

Hi Amccl

If you look at the NICE guidelines (link) you should have 3 monthly check-ups for the first 3 years and then 6 monthly check-ups for the next 2 years. However, in practice it depends how many patients your dermatology team has to look after.

For the first two years after being diagnosed I nearly always had to phone the hospital I was under after receiving my next appointment through the post to point out that I should be seen in 3 months, not the 4 or 5 I was being offered. I may have been lucky but they always seemed to be able to reschedule me to be seen in the 3 month timeframe but I felt such a nuisance having to phone.

Then I moved hospitals, because I moved house, and at this hospital appointments are made at the desk after I'd seen the consultant. The first time I saw this new consultant she gave me a form which asked the desk to make me an appointment in 3 months and 6 months. Although they couldn't manage the 3 month one, and I had one after 4 months, they could book the 6 month one. So then each time I went I was booking an appointment for 6 months time, as the next one in 3 months had already been booked from the previous time, if you see what I mean. I suppose it was cheating the system but the consultant had worked out that it was the only way I'd get 3 monthly appointments.

Unfortunately when Covid came along I wasn't able to see my consultant for over a year as they were only doing telephone consultations. I had a face-to-face appointment with her in May and she said she was working 12 hour days to try and fit everyone in as they could see so few patients each day because of the extra precautions they now have to take.

So now I've rambled on, my best suggestion would be to phone your dermatology department and see if your appointment can be brought forward and, if not, why not. It's highly likely to be because they just don't have the capacity but at least you'll know and be able to check that you should be down for 3 monthly checks.

One thing to bear in mind though is that if you ever find anything suspicious in between check-ups just phone your SCNS and, in my experience, you'll be sitting in front of your consultant within a week.

Let us know how you get on

x

Many thanks for this info, I will give the dermatologist department a wee call and enquire about it. X 

latchbrook thank you for this link it’s very useful x 

I think covid has had a big toll on it.

I've not had one since Oct 2019 which would have been around 1 and half years after diagnosis.

scot88 really that’s a very long time not to have seen anyone. Hope your well x 

I still get my scans and phone appointments with oncologist.

Did get a recent appointment at the skin dept. but it was to tell me they found something on a recent scan, though after an ultrasound it looks like it was a false alarm 

hope you're well too. 

Glad it was a false alarm. I am only one dose in on pembro so far so good x