Proposal to relocate Dermatology Services in Lincolnshire

The NHS in Lincolnshire is reviewing some of its dermatology services in Lincolnshire. Currently patients living in East Lincolnshire are referred for dermatology appointments run by Lincolnshire DMC Community Dermatology Service at either Skegness Hospital or Parkside Medical Centre, Boston. Patients living in the West, South, and Southwest Lincolnshire localities are triaged through the Elective Activity Coordination Hub (EACH) and redirected to other providers or secondary care.

This split system causes several problems for both patients and clinicians.

What problems are we trying to solve?

Patients and NHS staff face the following issues:

• People in different parts of the county don’t get the same access to services.
• GPs and clinicians have to follow different referral processes, which leads to delays and confusion.
• United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) struggles to keep up with the high demand for dermatology appointments.

What are we changing?

We’re moving towards a lead provider model, with ULHT taking full responsibility for dermatology services across Lincolnshire.

To support this, we plan to end the current contract with DMC in East Lincolnshire.

This change will mean:

• GPs will send all dermatology referrals through the EACH Referral Service, no matter where patients live.
• Patients who would have gone to DMC clinics in Skegness or Boston will now attend a ULHT clinic.
• Patients will choose which ULHT site they want to visit for their appointment.

How will this help?

These changes will:

• Give everyone in Lincolnshire the same access to dermatology care
• Remove confusion by using one clear referral route
• Allow patients to choose a location that works best for them
• Help reduce waiting times across the county
• Make better use of NHS resources

Tell us what you think

We want to hear about your experiences with dermatology services. Your feedback will help shape how we improve care for you, your family, and your community.

This engagement opens on 26 June 2025 and will remain open.