Gemma Dakin
2020 Bio: Gemma is a qualified Registered Nurse, experienced in Major Trauma and Orthopaedics. She is currently the Project Support Officer for the technology team supporting health technology projects that drive the adoption and spread of innovative ideas and technologies across large populations.
Digital Pioneer Fellowship project summary: Commissioned by the ABPI Dermatology Initiative (small group of pharmaceutical companies) the project aims to deliver a dermatology improvement collaborative programme to trusts to improve the care of people with skin conditions, promote the use of teledermatology and support medicines optimisation.
Dermatology services are under immense pressure because of the huge emphasis on the diagnosis and management of skin cancer which has caused a dramatic, but often unintentional, reduction in clinical time available for people with long-term inflammatory skin conditions, such as psoriasis, rosacea, urticaria, eczema, atopic dermatitis and acne. The challenges that have been identified by the ABPI Dermatology Initiative include the ‘diagnostic bottleneck’, the burden and management of skin disease, and access to secondary care treatment.
The dermatology improvement collaborative programme will seek to address these issues and work as regional networks to streamline referrals through digital first solutions, improving the patient pathway and treatment of people with long-term skin conditions in England.
Estimated number of patients / staff impacted by the project: The aim is to on-board a minimum of six Trusts from across London onto the dermatology improvement collaborative programme. They are engaging with the emerging primary care networks, GPwSIs (GP with Specialist Interest in Dermatology) and integrated care systems (ICSs) in South London.
Goal(s) for the programme: Use learnings from the programme to support the strong cultural shift required for clinicians in their way of working.
Learn from the agile project management technique and embed in day to day work.