§ Earl Howeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What action is being taken to train wide groups of healthcare professionals who come into contact with large areas of patients' skin to check for signs of skin cancer and for lesions. [HL4012]
§ Lord WarnerIt is for the independent regulatory and professional bodies to determine the content of both undergraduate and postgraduate training for health professionals. All National Health Service organisations are expected to ensure their staff are trained in all the necessary areas to deliver effective patient care.
However, Cancer Research UK has printed 40,000 posters designed to assist general practitioners and practice nurses in the identification of suspicious skin lesions. The poster, which contains photographs and explanations of various lesions, has been distributed to all UK doctors' surgeries.
The Department of Health has also published referral guidelines for suspected cancer to assist GPs in determining those patients with suspected skin cancer who need to be referred urgently to see a specialist within two weeks, those patients that can be referred for a routine appointment and those who can be safely watched at a primary care level. The guidelines include a section on skin cancer.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is updating these guidelines and is currently consulting on the first draft of the reviewed guidance.
The revised guidelines are expected to be published in March 2005.