Management of chronic skin diseases is important

doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7255.240/a

BMJ 2000;321:240 ( 22 July )

Letters

Management of chronic skin diseases is important

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ In its preoccupation with cancer, heart disease, and mental health, the Department of Health has begun to lose sightof the quality of life issues surrounding long term illness. Althoughthe BMJ special issue on chronic diseases addressed the importanceof considering the needs of people with chronic conditions, Iwas disappointed not to see any examples from dermatology in thepapers presented.¹ Unlike many other chronic conditions, skindiseases are often stigmatising to a greater extent even thandepression, but there is little understanding among health professionalsor the public of the impact they can have on people's qualityoflife.

In the report on its inquiry into the training of healthcare professionals who come into contact with patients with skin diseasesthe All Party Parliamentary Group on Skin called for funding tobe made available for skin disease management clinics in primarycare comparable to the . . . [Full text of this article]