The dermatology out-patient service: a study of out-patient referrals in a Scottish population

A comprehensive survey of the dermatology out-patient service, including private practice, was undertaken by the medical staff of the Department of Dermatology, in Edinburgh. The unit serves a population of 1,171,000 in the south-east region of Scotland. One thousand two hundred and thirty-two new patients and 1587 follow-up patients were seen in 1 month. Ninety-five per cent of new referrals were from general practitioners and the remaining 5% were from hospital doctors. Benign tumours (19.3%), viral warts (16.9%) and dermatitis/eczema (16.7%) accounted for over half of all new consultations. The routine waiting time for a clinic appointment was 5 weeks, but 9.5% of new patients were seen within 3 weeks of referral and a further 6.5% within 48 hours. Minor surgical procedures, excluding the treatment of viral warts, were carried out on 22% of new patients.