Private dermatology in London: skin clinics, mole checks and skin surgery

The two hospitals with the most detailed skin pages sit at opposite sides of north-east and north London. Spire London East, in Redbridge, groups its dermatology treatments into everyday medical dermatology and minor surgery: treatment for acne, eczema and dermatitis, psoriasis, mole, cyst, wart and skin tag removal, scar revision and thread vein treatment. It also names malignant skin cancer excision, dermabrasion, chemical peels and allergy testing. That combination suits patients with a long-running inflammatory condition, or someone who wants a single lesion removed and examined.

Nuffield Health Highgate leans towards procedure. Its dermatology entries are dermatological surgery for the removal of skin cancers and moles, Mohs micrographic surgery (a staged technique in which the surgeon checks the margins under a microscope as the tumour is removed), photodynamic therapy using light-activated medication, and chemical peels. Highgate also includes dermatology within a list of more than thirty areas, so it is fair to say it is a general hospital with a surgical dermatology offer rather than a dedicated skin clinic.

The Harley Street Clinic lists dermatology under additional departments. Guy's and St Thomas' lists dermatology and allergy among the strengths of its private patient service. Of these, only Redbridge and Highgate give procedure-level detail on their own pages, so if you are considering Marylebone or the teaching-hospital service, ask for the specific treatment in writing before you plan a visit.

For Spire London East, the address is Roding Lane South, Redbridge (IG4 5PZ). Redbridge Underground station is within walking distance and the 366 bus from the station stops opposite. There are 152 free parking spaces. The hospital has ultrasound, CT and MRI, and its listing mentions capsule endoscopy and mammography alongside the skin pages, which tells you the building is a full hospital, not a stand-alone clinic.

Nuffield Health Highgate is at 17-19 View Road, beside Hampstead Heath (N6 4DJ). The page describes free parking on site in limited numbers and on surrounding roads with weekday restrictions between 10am and 12pm. It is outside the congestion charging zone but inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone, so check the Transport for London rules if you drive an older diesel car. The page did not describe public transport.

The Harley Street Clinic is at 35 Weymouth Street (W1G 8BJ), five to ten minutes' walk from Regent's Park or Great Portland Street, with metered parking on nearby streets. A skin patient who needs a biopsy and a scan in the same visit may find the combination of departments and imaging at a central hospital convenient, but only Highgate and Redbridge spell out their skin procedures.

Eczema is among the commonest reasons for a first visit. A dermatologist will look at how the rash behaves, which triggers matter, and whether emollients and topical steroids are being used in the way the NHS guidance for eczema describes. Where the skin does not settle, the next steps may include patch testing for contact allergy, phototherapy, or systemic medication. Psoriasis is handled similarly: scaly plaques are treated first with creams, then light therapy, and then, for more extensive disease, with tablets or injected biologic drugs, which are prescribed and monitored by a specialist.

Acne in adults and teenagers is another staple. The London pages name acne treatment but not the specific drugs, which is appropriate: prescription-only treatments such as isotretinoin are decided at consultation and follow a monitoring schedule. Skin cancer assessment is the third big area. A consultant will examine a mole with a dermatoscope, a lit magnifier, and may take a biopsy or excise the whole lesion for laboratory examination. Basal cell carcinoma, the most frequent skin cancer, can be treated by surgery, Mohs surgery or photodynamic therapy in selected cases, which is why Highgate's list is relevant.

Cosmetic procedures sit alongside the medical ones. Chemical peels, thread vein treatment, dermabrasion and scar revision are on London listings. These are elective and are not routinely funded by the NHS, and a consultation should explain what to expect, including recovery and what the results might realistically look like.

Dermatology within the NHS usually starts with a GP. For a suspicious mole, the NHS operates an urgent suspected cancer pathway, and the NHS guide to waiting times states that cancer should be confirmed or ruled out within 28 days of an urgent referral. For a non-urgent skin condition the maximum wait for consultant-led treatment is 18 weeks, and patients in England have a right to choose the provider for a first outpatient appointment.

Guy's and St Thomas' lists dermatology and allergy in its private patient service, spread across its six London locations. That is an option for people who want a consultant who also works in the NHS skin department of the same trust, but the trust's own page does not set out individual clinics. The board that commissions your NHS care is one of North East London, South East London, South West London, or West and North London, depending on your GP practice.

Facilities and services change, so confirm details with the hospital when you plan a visit.

• Is the consultant a specialist dermatologist on the General Medical Council specialist register, and will they examine the whole skin or only the area you point to?

• If a lesion is removed, will it be sent for histology, and how and when will you receive the result?

• Is the procedure you want, such as Mohs surgery or photodynamic therapy, done at this hospital or elsewhere?

• Which costs are separate: the consultation, the procedure, the laboratory report and any follow-up?

• For eczema or psoriasis, how will long-term prescriptions and monitoring be shared with your GP?

• If your skin problem is cosmetic, what is the realistic result and the recovery time?

Most skin conditions are not emergencies, but some signs warrant prompt care. A mole that has grown, changed colour or shape, bleeds or crusts, or a sore that has not healed within a few weeks should be seen by a GP soon, whichever route you intend to take afterwards. A widespread, painful, blistering rash, a rash with fever, or swelling of the lips and face needs urgent medical help, and breathing difficulty needs 999.

London's private urgent care centres exist at some HCA sites, and their pages say they treat urgent but not life-threatening conditions. They are not a substitute for a dermatology consultation, but they can be useful for infected skin, burns or cuts when your own GP is closed.