National Eczema Society has worked with other charities to create a Patient Charter for people living with atopic eczema, developed in collaboration with Sanofi. The new Patient Charter is being launched today (6 July 2023) in Westminster, where we are speaking to parliamentarians about the issues that matter to people with eczema.
Most people have heard the name ‘eczema’ and know about some of the more obvious symptoms like skin rash. But it’s hard to appreciate just how devastating eczema can be, unless you or someone close to you has the condition. Eczema is a complex immune-mediated condition that has wide-ranging psychological, social and financial impacts, as well as the more obvious affects on people’s physical health.
From surveys, we know 4 out of 5 people with eczema say the condition has negatively impacted their mental health. Anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts are much more common amongst people with moderate-to-severe eczema. In a 2021 survey, a third of respondents said they spend at least an hour every day managing their condition, doing things like applying emollients and other topical treatments. Half of the adults who took part in the survey reported having to take time off work because of their eczema.
Our patient charter makes a number of key recommendations:
- Improved access to specialist dermatology care and psychodermatology services
- People living with eczema to become genuine partners with healthcare professionals in their own care
- Better education to help people self-manage eczema and improved mental health support
- Dermatology services are supported to provide patient-centric care.
You can read the patient charter here, which has the full text of our vision for better care for people living with atopic eczema.