Care failures revealed for skin disease sufferers

The poll of 600 patients by the Psoriasis Association reveals widespread inconsistencies in the care and management of people with the condition.

The survey asked patients if they had their disease severity measured but fewer than one in six said they had.

It also uncovered high levels of dissatisfaction with the standard of care received with treatment in Yorkshire, the south coast, Northern Ireland and Wales particular areas of concern.

The painful and debilitating complaint affects around 1.5 million people in the UK.

Charity chief executive Helen McAteer said leading specialists recommended everyone with the condition should have the severity of their disease assessed to evaluate what improvements patients were making.

“Psoriasis is complicated to treat – it doesn’t stay in one place. Improvement might be seen in one area of the body only for it to re-surface elsewhere,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so important to have regular reviews of both treatment and disease activity built into the care of people with psoriasis and that any assessment includes the impact that psoriasis is having on a patient’s quality of life.”

The results will be presented to a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin next week.