Private dermatology in Cardiff: skin conditions, mole removal and skin cancer care

Spire Cardiff's treatments page puts skin treatments among its named categories. The A-Z entries I read cover acne, eczema and dermatitis, psoriasis, the removal of moles, cysts, warts and skin tags, treatment for malignant skin cancer, excessive sweating and scar revision. It is a practical list that spans medical dermatology (long-term conditions managed with medicines) and minor surgery (lumps and lesions).

Nuffield Health's Cardiff and Vale page lists dermatology among its key areas, but I found no dedicated skin page for the Cardiff sites, and its private GP service page does not name dermatology as an in-house service. If you would rather see a Nuffield dermatologist, ask the bookings team which consultants run clinics at Cardiff Bay and what they treat.

The outcome is that Spire's published detail makes it easier to see in advance what is on offer, while Nuffield's is a headline that needs checking, for instance through the hospital's online consultant search.

Spire Cardiff's psoriasis page explains that skin cells are replaced in days instead of months, producing red, flaky patches typically on elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. It says psoriasis is generally genetic, not contagious and persists, with severity varying. Treatments named are topical (vitamin D ointments or steroid-based), phototherapy with ultraviolet light, and systemic oral or injected medicines. It advises seeing a GP first and notes follow-up appointments typically six to twelve weeks after a consultation.

Eczema and dermatitis, and acne, are listed as separate entries. These are conditions where the main work is long-term management: avoiding triggers, using emollients and prescribed creams correctly, and escalating treatment when it fails. A private dermatology consultation is most useful when a GP-led plan has been tried and the condition is still affecting sleep, work or confidence.

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and scar revision round out the list, and the private route here is mainly about faster access to a specialist opinion.

Spire Cardiff's page on malignant skin cancer describes surgical and non-surgical options. Surgery includes excision, removing the cancer with a margin of healthy tissue under local anaesthetic; Mohs micrographic surgery, which removes tissue layer by layer and is used for facial or large lesions; and cryosurgery using liquid nitrogen. Non-surgical options named are photodynamic therapy for precancerous lesions and radiotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence. Most procedures are day cases, with return to work within weeks depending on the procedure.

The page calls skin cancer the most common cancer in the UK and cites around 13,000 new melanoma diagnoses a year. Cardiff patients should know that any mole that changes in size, shape or colour, bleeds, itches or does not heal should be seen promptly. Your GP can arrange urgent referral on the NHS, and in Wales an urgent suspected cancer referral follows its own pathway.

Spire also lists mole, cyst, wart and skin tag removal as a separate entry. Ask whether anything removed is sent for laboratory examination, how results are communicated and who follows up an unexpected result. Removing a mole for cosmetic reasons without having it examined can miss a problem.

• Ask whether Mohs surgery is performed at the hospital or whether a referral elsewhere is needed.

• Ask who reviews the histology report and how quickly you will hear.

• Ask about scarring, and about skin checks after treatment.

Spire Cardiff is at Croescadarn Road, Pontprennau, CF23 8XL, around fifteen minutes by taxi from Cardiff Central according to the hospital, with buses 57, 58 and C1 on the road and free parking. Nuffield Health Cardiff Bay Hospital is on Dunleavy Drive, CF11 0SN, with 50 free parking spaces and weekday opening, which suits a quick minor procedure. Pre-procedure steps matter: ask whether you should avoid anticoagulant changes, and what aftercare dressings you will need.

Booking routes differ: Spire has separate self-pay and insurer teams, and Nuffield accepts direct booking and says no referral is needed for most specialties.

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board lists dermatology among its services, with care delivered through its hospitals. For suspected skin cancer, a GP can refer urgently. Senedd Research describes a Welsh target that at least 95 percent of GP-referred urgent suspected cancer patients who are diagnosed start treatment within 62 days, and for routine referrals the targets of 26 and 36 weeks, noting the routine targets had not been met for years in its December 2024 update.

There is no right to choose in Wales, so referral generally follows the health board. NHS 111 Wales gives out-of-hours advice and 999 is for emergencies.