Did you know that the team who runs Brigstock Skin & Laser Centre also head up a separate organisation called Communitas Clinics? Communitas Clinics, an NHS commissioned dermatology service, has this week won the award for Improving Care with Technology at the annual Health Service Journal Awards.

Using specialist technology, GPs are able to send clinical information and images to the dermatology specialists within the service and receive diagnoses and time management plans. Rapid access to specialist opinion means the amount of unnecessary secondary care referrals are reduced. The knock on effect of this is that hospital waiting lists are shorter, patients that can be seen sooner are seen sooner and there is less stress placed on already overstretched services.

The service has been hugely successful – originally commissioned to roll out to 9 practices within 12 months, within 5 months 17 practices were signed up and there are now 21 practices in the Surrey Downs area who use the Communitas teledermoscopy service.

Christian Lyons, Managing Director of the service is immensely proud of his team’s efforts: “Our core team worked really hard to develop this service model. We’re dedicated to reducing the costs for local commissioners without compromising on care, ensuring patients have a stunningly good service. This has very much been a collaborative effort, working with great commissioners who have been instrumental in making sure this service is delivered exceedingly well.”