Photodermatology

Introduction

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s Photodermatology Visiting Professional Programme has been designed by leading consultants at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. The programme offers international visiting professionals the opportunity to experience our cutting edge photodermatology services. We aim to provide a unique development experience which broadens visiting professional’s clinical education and enables them to learn new skills that can be transferred back to their work place.

The programme offers an unrivalled opportunity to benefit from world class dermatological knowledge from the largest clinical dermatology department in the UK.

Programme aims

The programme is aimed at those who wish to extend their experience in photodermatology and who wish to gain an understanding of the way this is practiced and organised within the NHS.

The programme aims to include:

• Direct experience and exposure to one of few Photodermatology departments in the UK
• The opportunity to spend time with and gain learning insight from our expert team
• Opportunities to attend our in-house teaching sessions for dermatologists
• Opportunities to attend our multidisciplinary team meetings (MDM)
• The opportunity to develop and extend visitors’ work portfolios by gaining
• Experience of observing one of the largest teaching hospitals in Central London, whilst gaining direct insight into the workings of the NHS
• Ample opportunities to get involved with short quality improvement projects during your visit

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.

Format

The programme is delivered within the hospital work place and it includes exposure to clinics, internal teaching meetings, and cutting edge treatments.

Visiting professionals will be aligned with supervisors from within the team who will ensure that all of the learning and development needs and expectations are met.

The programme gives the opportunity for participants to be totally integrated with the day to day service within our photodermatology team.

Who can apply

This programme is intended for non U.K. registrars, fellows and consultants who wish to learn about our cutting edge photodermatology and Xerodermatic Pigmentosum services.

This will be a practical attachment and those wishing to apply must have GMC registration. You can apply for GMC registration directly through the main GMC website, alternatively The Royal College of Physicians run a medical training initiative which facilitates GMC registration and provides sponsorship for a Tier 5 visa. You can find out more about their Medical Training Initiative by visiting their website.

Programme duration

We are able to offer visiting professional programmes from four weeks to three months. The programme’s duration can be tailored to the specific learning requirements of those visiting the Trust.

Photodermatology service

Guy’s and St Thomas’ Photodermatology unit has two functions: 

For the diagnosis, specialist investigation and treatment of patients who suffer skin disorders caused by sunlight, including: 

• Polymorphic light eruption 
• Actinic prurigo 
• Chronic actinic dermatitis 
• Cutaneous porphyria 
• Xeroderma pigmentosum. 

We offer a highly specialist service including complex diagnostic testing (Phototesting) which, due to its complexity and technical difficulty, is available at very few centres nationally. We also provide a national cutaneous porphyria clinical service, and a national xeroderma pigmentosum clinical service. 

Phototherapy service

The Dowling Phototherapy Unit is a clinical unit within the Bermondsey Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas Hospital and is designed to provide the full range of phototherapy, with ultraviolet light being used to treat patients with skin diseases including: 

• Psoriasis 
• Eczema 
• Vitiligo 
• Polymorphic light eruption. 

In addition to all the regional and whole body therapies with PUVA, and narrowband UVB, we are also one of two centres in England to provide high output UVA1 therapy, a valuable new treatment for a different set of skin diseases. 

Our unit is also acting as the hub and lead for a network of phototherapy units in hospitals throughout south east England. 

The unit also provides iontophoresis, a treatment for hyperhidrosis (excess sweating of hands and feet). 

Research

We have an active research programme as part of the Biomedical Research Centre, and in collaboration with the King’s College London (KCL) Photobiology Unit.

Example Timetable

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email [email protected].

Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.