How to find an excellent Dermatologist

[turista]

I have been asked to find "The best dermatologist in the West Midlands" - how can I go about finding who that is. I am happy to take PMs about this. The person is looking for a private consultant. Advice welcome, Thank you. T

[barakta]

You usually still need a GP referral to private so it can be worth asking the GP who they rate and asking for a private referral letter.  This is what I did when I needed an equivalent best orthopaedic surgeon in Yorkshire to access with my dad's work's health insurance.

[yoav]

Strictly speaking, you don't need a GP referral to be seen privately but many private specialists will only see patients with a GP referral.

Of course the next question is what you mean by "best"? The nicest? The quickest to see you? The cheapest/most expensive? The one with the best consulting room? Don't worry, you're not the only one to try and figure this question out.

Your best bet is to ask your GP to recommend someone.

[turista]

Thank you Baratka and Yoav,
My friend has had a referral from the GP and was not happy and went to the local hospital and was not completely happy with the result.
They would like to have a private consultation and asked me what I could find out.
yoav - I take your point about the best, suddenly it has become a quagmire! The person has questions about a condition called Lichen Planus - so perhaps I am trying to find out the consultant dermatologist most knowledgeable about this condition, and so perhaps one with the most knowledge about skin cancer or psoriasis might not be the best person for the job.
Phew -  but this is helping me to think/research.
PS
Sorry for my delay in answering - my broadband was down.
Turista

[yoav]

I take it your friend's first referral was in the NHS?

Your friend could of course simply ask the GP a for a second opinion, which could be a private one.

But, reading between the lines, it sounds as if your friend was not happy with the GP either. If so, then they will need to tread carefully. If they're not prepared to go back to the the same GP then they could try another doctor in the same practice.

They could also try calling every private hospital in the phone book and ask if they have a dermatologist who sees patients without a GP referral but that is somewhat hit and miss.

Lichen planus is a common condition so all dermatologists should be familiar with it.

[hellymedic]

I take it your friend's first referral was in the NHS?

Your friend could of course simply ask the GP a for a second opinion, which could be a private one.

But, reading between the lines, it sounds as if your friend was not happy with the GP either. If so, then they will need to tread carefully. If they're not prepared to go back to the the same GP then they could try another doctor in the same practice.

They could also try calling every private hospital in the phone book and ask if they have a dermatologist who sees patients without a GP referral but that is somewhat hit and miss.

Lichen planus is a common condition so all dermatologists should be familiar with it.

What he said.
AIUI it's not life-threatening,  is itchy and annoying, might respond to strong steroids and often goes away of its own accord.

As such, it may generate little emotion from medical attendants.