After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
After suspending visiting earlier in the year, we are now able to offer limited visiting to some wards at the discretion of the nurse in-charge.”
Read more on visiting times...
We recognise the impact that a long stay in hospital can have on families and the importance of maintaining strong communication. Our ward staff are keeping in touch with patients’ next of kin directly and our Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can help pass on personal messages from family and friends.
The Queen Alexandra Hospital is located just on the hill slopes of Portsdown Hill overlooking Portsmouth. It is conveniently situated for both the M27 and A3M.
Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health. We are committed to the active involvement of family members, friends and carers during a hospital stay. Family members and carers play an important role in supporting patients during an episode of ill health.
More information on visiting hospital for an appointment.
If you've had experience of using our services and would like to make a comment then please contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS). Your views are very important to us and we would like to hear where you think improvements are needed or where things have gone so well that you would like to share your thanks or gratitude with the staff involved. When things have not gone so well then you can be sure that we want to hear from you, so please get in touch with PALS.
During your stay in hospital you will meet a number of different members of staff. All members of staff wear name badges, but if you are not sure who someone is or what they do, please feel free to ask them to introduce themselves and explain what they do.
If you have any questions about your treatment, please ask a doctor or a nurse.
There are lots of opportunities for you to get involved with the Trust, from volunteering to attending our public meetings, our Annual General Meeting or our hospital open day which is held every year.
We welcome and value your feedback and use the views you share with us in a number of ways to learn and make improvements as well as sharing best practice. Feedback can be provided in a number of ways.
Last updated: 31 March 2021
The Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Dermatology Centre is located in a purpose-build, modern facility on the St Mary's Community Heath Campus, in block D (see figure 1). We also run our dermatology services at Gosport War Memorial Hospital, Fareham Community Hospital and at Petersfield Community Hospital. We provide an expert consultant led service, although our patients benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach, allowing them to receive the most appropriate care to meet their needs.
Figure 1: The Dermatology Department is in Block D on the St Mary's site
What treatments do we provide?
Treatments for skin conditions are very varied, and includes creams, dressings, day treatments and specialised light therapies (figure 2), tablet medications, newer biological agents and, rarely, admission to hospital. We also carry out a significant amount of surgery under local anaesthetic, principally for the diagnosis and treatment of skin cancer. Our skin cancer service is monitored by weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings to ensure best possible outcomes for our patients.
Figure 2: Our Day Treatment Room and our Phototherapy (UV) machines allow our team to see and treat many patients with different skin problems
Skin cancer treatment
Some forms of skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma require surgical treatments. These range from small biopsies to large excisions and the more complex Mohs micrographic surgery. Most of this surgery is performed at Portsmouth Dermatology Centre (Figure 3) at St Mary's but is also carried out at the community hospitals in Fareham, Gosport and Petersfield. Larger cases may be referred to our surgical colleagues who work at the Queen Alexandra Hospital.
Figure 3: One of our Surgery Rooms
On site photography
To aid management of our Dermatology patients we often rely on the talented QA Medical Photography and Illustration team, who work alongside us with a fully equipped specialist room within our department which helps good image taking (Figure 4). Please note you may be asked for your consent to have a photograph taken of your skin problem when you attend your appointment, to aid your treatment and follow-up.
Figure 4: Our Photography Room
Our clinics
Our general Dermatology clinics run on a daily basis throughout the week for the management of conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, skin cancer, and other common conditions.
The specialist services run at the Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Dermatology Centre are:
We also run combined clinics with the genitourinary physicians, gynaecologists, oncologists, paediatricians, plastic surgeons and rheumatologists. We are also in close contact with other clinical departments particularly maxillofacial, oculo-plastic and head & neck surgery.
Our department is a major dermatology teaching centre and therefore you may be seen by a Dermatology Specialist Registrar. You may also see other trainee doctors and nurses, pharmacists and medical students.
We do not do cosmetic work and will not remove benign moles or cysts for example. We have no laser facilities (the closest NHS provider of lasers is at Salisbury Hospital: http://salisburylaserclinic.org.uk/). We are not commissioned to treat warts or molluscum contagiosum, or other benign conditions.
Useful links and resources for patients
For information on skin conditions that you might find useful please have a look at the following websites:
We are on the St Mary's Community Health Campus - our department is in BLOCK D.
Please note we are not based in the St Mary’s Treatment Centre - they are a different company who provide some dermatology services (they were called Care UK, now called Practice Plus). Please contact them on 0333 200 1822 or 0330 058 1813. Their website is www.portsmouthsurgicalcentre.nhs.uk/nhs
Arriving by Car:
There is a car park which can get very busy, so consider being dropped off for your visit.
Car park payment: You pay on exiting at the pay machines by the St Mary's Main Entrance (not at Dermatology). The system is based on number plate recognition and will charge you for the length of time stayed. There are dispensations for disabled badge holders. Parking is also available at Fratton Football Club, again requires payment. Street parking is busy and not recommended.
Arriving by Public Transport:
Train - We are a 25 minute walk from Fratton train station
Bus - Bus lines that stop near the St Mary’s site are: V3, 15, 18, 41, 53, 147, 197
8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday to Thursday
8:00am to 5:00pm on Friday
We are not open on Weekends and Bank Holidays
We only see patients who have been referred to us from their GP practice, hospital departments or other medical specialists. We ask that referrals from GP are submitted to us with a photo (if possible/appropriate) and so you may need to send your GP a photograph, or allow them to take one to attach to the referral letter to us.
The referral is then sent via the NHS Advice & Guidance service, which is an electronic system that allows us to decide where and when we should book your appointment, and if there are any helpful management advice that your GP may need to suggest/start. Sometimes we can tell your GP all they need to know to about how to manage your condition correctly, and this may save you a trip to Dermatology and prevent delays in your treatment.
The Outpatient Booking Centre deals with sorting all new appointments, therefore please contact them if you have a problem with your first appointment to see us (Outpatient Booking Centre number: 02392 68 1700). The Dermatology department only directly deals with organising any required follow up appointments.
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY TEXT MESSAGE REMINDERS IF YOU CANNOT MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT. IF YOU REPLY BY TEXT THE SYSTEM WILL AUTOMATICALLY DISCHARGE YOU AND YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT! Instead please call the Outpatient Booking Centre number to rearrange your new appointment on 02392 68 1700.
External Referrals: GPs please refer via the NHS e-Referral Advice and Guidance service only please.
Our Emergency Dermatology on-call service (0900-2000h Monday to Thursday, 0900-1900h Friday to Sunday) can only be accessed by doctors on behalf of their patients; please contact the QA Hospital Switch Board (02392 286000).
We are on the St Mary's Community Health Campus - our department is in BLOCK D.
We are on the far side of the St Mary's campus, away the main road side, where you will arrive.
Find us by walking/driving between Block B (part of the main St Mary's building) and Block E (the Enablement Centre)
All NEW PATIENT appointments are dealt with by the Outpatient Booking centre: 02392 681 700 - please call them if you are a new patient to our department.
Our Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust Dermatology Department's contact number is 02381 030817 (updated April 2023). Please listen carefully to the recorded message to be directed to the correct area in the department.
Please note if you have been seen previously by the different dermatology service running at the St Mary’s Hospital Treatment Centre they were a separate service to ours (the company was previously called Care UK, now it is called Practice Plus). Please contact them on 0333 200 1822 or 0330 058 1813. Their website is www.portsmouthsurgicalcentre.nhs.uk/nhs
If you have already been in contact with our team and have non-urgent queries about your care or treatment, here are contact email addresses for various teams in our department (in alphabetical order):
OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS
For blood tests: if you receive a blood form from Dermatology then you can have the bloods taken from any of the following places which run a weekday service:
