Dr J English is a Consultant Dermatologist at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. Here, he talks about why he chose to become an EPIDERM reporter.

Unfortunately, our recall for details of patients is not always as it may seem, so the main reason for me reporting to EPIDERM is that THOR and I have an accurate record of the occupational skin disease patients I see.

Another reason is that it is a nationwide (multinational with Ireland, Scotland and Wales) reporting scheme that was until recently unique in Europe and probably in the world.

Admittedly, it is not a perfect reporting scheme, but Dr Mike Beck and Professors Cherry and Agius have refined it over the years so that it can give a reasonable indication of trends in occupational dermatology.

Dr Richard Rycroft and the British Contact Dermatitis Group originally started EPIDERM in the early 1990s, with continued financial support from the Health and Safety Executive.

It is simple to collect the information on a card, and online computerisation is probably going to make it even easier to record patient details. I am attracted to the simplicity of the scheme, and this is why I have continued to support it from its inception.

I hope the HSE will support it for many more years to come, and also that dermatologists, occupational physicians and GPs will continue to send in their reporting cards.

Find out more about the EPIDERM reporting scheme.

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