The management of skin conditions is a significant cost to the NHS with a report in 2012/13 indicating that it costs 2% of the NHS budget¹.

The ABPI report published 2018²  ‘Making real our shared vision for the NHS: Optimising the treatment and care of people with long-term skin conditions in England’¹ states that:-

• The management of skin conditions cost the NHS £723 million annually and over three million primary care hours are spent on it.
• Approximately 13.2 million people in England visited their GP with a skin problem in 2016.
• 85%  of patients  indicate the psycho-social aspects of their condition is a significant part of their illness.
• Patients  are losing working days due to their skin condition.
• In severe Psoriasis it is estimated 60% lose up to 26 days of work each year.

Recommendations in the report included:

• Optimising self-management: empower and equip people to take a more active role in the coordination and management of their treatment.
• Using technology and innovation to streamline the patient pathway.
• Maximising use of available resource, skill and experience: Including  development of local champions.

^{1.  http://www.gponline.com/gpdermatology- training-needs-overhaul-tackle-21bn-cost-skin-conditions/dermatology/psoriasis/article/1383696 (Accessed June 2017).}

^{2. https://www.abpi.org.uk/media/4684/der-0080-0517-dermatology_initiative_report_rev16.pdf}