Many face long waits for dermatology appointments

Thank you, BBC, for featuring the huge problems people with eczema face waiting for a dermatologist appointment.

Many people struggle for a long time trying to control their eczema with the help of their GP and are very unwell by the time they get a referral to dermatology.

The pressure of then having to wait months or years to see a dermatologist is intolerable. It’s not right people with complex skin conditions like eczema are sent to the back of the queue. Eczema profoundly affects people’s physical health, mental health, quality of life and even life chances.

Read the full story: BBC News, Living hell for ‘forgotten’ skin patients.

‘We don’t understand why people with eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions are being treated as second-class citizens by the NHS. Eczema profoundly affects people’s physical health, mental health, quality of life and even life chances. It’s vital eczema patients are treated quickly and effectively by Dermatology service when they their symptoms are severe and they are very unwell.’ said Andrew Proctor, chief executive of National Eczema Society.

It’s vital eczema patients are treated quickly and effectively by Dermatology services when they have severe symptoms and are unwell.

A massive thank you to National Eczema Society’s eczema warrior, Elle, who bravely shared her experience as part of the feature. It is important that we keep raising awareness.

Read Elle’s eczema story today

 “I waited two years to have patch testing done”.

New research from National Eczema Society and EPIMAX®, surveying over 700 women across the UK, highlights the huge impact of menopause on eczema and skin health. One in four (25%) women who took part in the survey developed eczema for the first time during menopause. The majority of women, some 87%, wish they had known more about the impact of menopause on skin health before experiencing menopause themselves.

In England and Wales, women make up 51% of the population, and at some stage in their lives they will go through menopause. While symptoms like hot flushes and brain fog are widely recognised, the impact of menopause on skin health remains under-researched and rarely discussed. That needs to change!

We want to shine a light on menopause and eczema. It’s time to start the conversation.

How does menopause affect the skin?

During menopause, oestrogen levels decline, leading to changes in the skin that can make it more prone to dryness, irritation and eczema. Despite this, the connection between menopause and eczema remains largely unrecognised, even though it significantly affects many women’s daily lives.

I think we need more research into the effects of the menopause on eczema and skin health, and more support made available to women who are suffering with this, along with everything else that menopause brings – read Kathryn’s story

Impact on daily life

In the survey, 85% of women with eczema or dry skin said the menopause impacted their lives, affecting their confidence, relationships, hobbies, and social lives. Many women reported feeling self-conscious (73% of respondents), stressed (47%), sad (43%) and fatigued (34%).

Despite this, 90% of women said there is not enough information available about managing eczema or dry skin during menopause. This is especially important for those women experiencing eczema for the first time during and after menopause.

More awareness and research needed

These findings highlight the urgent need for further research to better understand the connection between menopause and eczema. At National Eczema Society, we’re proud to have started this important conversation and raise awareness, but there’s still much more to do.

We’re grateful to the 710 women who took part in the eczema and menopause survey, and to EPIMAX® for collaborating with us to raise awareness of the impact of menopause on eczema and skin health. The more we talk about it, the greater the impact we can make.

Find out more about menopause and eczema.

Data from a survey of 710 respondents who are experiencing menopause and suffering with eczema or dry skin conducted by EPIMAX® and National Eczema Society in October 2024 ©.

Brilliant to share the experiences and challenges of our eczema community at the atopic eczema masterclass event for dermatology nurses yesterday (24 March 2025) in Birmingham.

Thank you to the British Dermatological Nursing Group for inviting us to take part and listening to patients! Huge thanks to Kym Dawson for sharing her inspirational eczema journey.

It was fabulous as well to hear about all the progress being made by the dermatology nursing community to improve patient care.

Our Chief Executive, Andrew Proctor talked about the priorities for National Eczema Society going forward, including campaigning for NICE quality guidelines for atopic eczema for adults and fair access to emollients on NHS prescription.

National Eczema Society Trustee, Professor Celia Moss also spoke at the event, explaining what we know about topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) and the urgent need for more research.

Sometimes skin conditions, particularly those that are visible, can have a profound effect on mental health in addition to the physical symptoms caused.

Together with the British Skin Foundation, the Skin Health Alliance and 13 leading skin organisations, we want to better understand the impact of skin conditions on mental health. To do this, we have launched the Psychodermatology & Me survey.

The insights gathered will help to inform an upcoming campaign and help shape future support and research.

If you have a skin condition, we want to hear from you! Your voice matters.

The survey will take approximately five minutes to complete.

Living with Eczema or Psoriasis? We have been excited to support the ground-breaking BIOMAP research programme over the past five years. If you are interested to learn more about how research is driving personalised treatment approaches for eczema and psoriasis, this webinar is for you!

Join the free webinar on Tuesday 25 March, at 4:30pm.

BIOMAP researchers across Europe have been investigating the causes of eczema and psoriasis, identifying new biomarkers that can show how these conditions develop over time. Our community is desperate for answers to these questions and it’s fantastic to see transformational research like this happening.

In this webinar you will find out what the BIOMAP researchers have discovered and the innovative research approaches they have developed. It’s free to take part in the webinar, which is intended for people with eczema and psoriasis.

Not to be missed! Register for free today.

On Saturday 1 March, we’re thrilled to host a talk by Dr Ella Guest on the Psycho-Social Impact of Eczema. Attend in person in Guildford, or join us virtually via our live-stream on Facebook – both are completely free!