Who to talk to about
hand eczema
Pharmacist
Pharmacists may be hospital or community based. They are able to give advice about treating minor skin complaints, and will be able to advise you on both over-the-counter and prescription treatments. Many eczema treatments can be bought ‘over the counter’ without a prescription, but if you need a prescription-only treatment, you will need to get a prescription from your doctor or nurse before your Pharmacist will be able to dispense your treatment.
Practice Nurse
Practice Nurses work in GP surgeries as part of a primary healthcare team. In larger practices, there may be several Practice Nurses sharing duties and responsibilities. Practice Nurses are able to provide advice and support as well as giving practical demonstrations of treatment options.
Dermatology Specialist Nurse
Dermatology Specialist Nurses have special expertise in treating skin conditions and may run specific clinics for patients with eczema. They are often the main providers of dermatology day treatment, including ultraviolet light therapy. Some nurses also work in clinics and may run education clinics to explain and monitor eczema treatments, such as topical therapy and wet wraps. Some Specialist Nurses can also prescribe medicines or carry out simple operations.
Nurse Consultant
A Nurse Consultant is a highly-experienced registered nurse who is a specialist in a particular field of healthcare, such as dermatology.
GP
A General Practitioner, or GP, is a family doctor with knowledge of a variety of medical conditions. Your GP will be able to prescribe medicines for you, but will probably refer you to a Dermatologist if your condition fails to respond to treatment, or if they feel that you need further testing, e.g. patch testing.
GPwSI
A GPwSI, or GP with a Special Interest is a relatively new classification of doctor. A GPwSI will have trained as a GP, but will have a special interest in one area of medicine, such as dermatology. They may work closely with a Dermatology Specialist Nurse and can help provide care for patients with skin problems who need expert advice, but whose conditions are not severe enough to need hospital-based care.
Dermatologist
A Dermatologist is a hospital-based doctor who has specialised in dermatology. They will be able to provide an expert opinion on your eczema, prescribe specific treatments, and perform tests, e.g. patch tests, which your GP might not perform.
Your Employer
Your Employer has a duty to protect your health, safety and welfare whilst you are at work, and must take reasonable measures to achieve this. This means making sure that you and others are protected from anything that may cause harm, including hand eczema ‘triggers’. If you find that a substance at work is causing or aggravating your hand eczema, you should tell your employer about it so that they can take reasonable measures to prevent it from happening. If you work in a job that is recognised as being at high risk for hand eczema, your employers should already be taking some precautions. In particular, the ‘Health and Safety Executive: Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992’ requires employers to provide appropriate protective clothing and equipment for their employees.
If you are visiting a healthcare professional for your hand eczema, why not visit the ‘Downloads’ section of this website, for questions you might like to ask them during your appointment?
