Who to talk to about your hand eczema

These are the people you may come into contact with when you seek advice and treatment.

Pharmacist

• May be hospital or community based
• Able to give advice about treating minor skin complaints
• Able advise you on both ‘over-the-counter’ and prescription-only treatments

Many treatments for mild eczema 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.

GP

• A General Practitioner (GP) is a family doctor with knowledge of a variety of medical conditions
• Able to prescribe medicines for you
• Can refer you to a Dermatologist or skin specialist if your condition fails to respond to treatment
• Can refer you for further testing, eg patch testing

Practice Nurse

• Works in GP surgeries as part of a primary healthcare team
• In larger practices, there may be several Practice Nurses sharing duties and responsibilities
• Able to provide advice and support as well as giving practical demonstrations of treatment options
• Can refer you for further testing, eg patch testing

GPwSI

• A GP with a Special Interest (GPwSI) is a relatively new classification of doctor
• A GPwSI is a GP, but will have a special interest in one area of medicine, such as dermatology
• May work closely with a Dermatology Specialist Nurse
• 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
• Can refer you to a Dermatologist or skin specialist if your condition fails to respond to treatment

Dermatology Specialist Nurse

• Have special expertise in treating skin conditions
• May run specific clinics for patients with eczema
• 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 nurses can also prescribe medicines or carry out simple operations

Nurse Consultant

• Highly-experienced registered nurse who is a specialist in a particular field of healthcare, such as dermatology

Dermatologist

• A hospital-based doctor who has specialised in dermatology
• Able to provide an expert opinion on your eczema, prescribe specific treatments, and perform tests, eg 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.

Your employer should make 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.