Written question WQ96482

Secondary care dermatology services for Powys residents are commissioned by Powys Teaching Health Board from providers in Wales and England.

At the end of March 2025, no Powys residents were waiting more than two years for their total referral to treatment (RTT) pathway and only three were waiting more than 52 weeks for a first outpatient appointment for dermatology services.

Funding awarded to the health board from the cancer recovery programme has enabled 15 of the 16 GP practices across Powys to receive dermoscopy cameras. These produce high-quality images and allow timely diagnoses to be made for skin cancer and benign lesions, helping to improve referral management and reduce the number of people who have to travel to a hospital for diagnosis.

The health board recently ran a six-month pilot, which enabled GP practices in north Powys to attach clinical and dermoscopy photos to referrals for advice and guidance on diagnosis and management of any skin lesions that were not considered to be an urgent suspected cancer referral. The health board intends to explore options to roll out similar advice and guidance pathways across Powys to further improve referral management for dermatology pathways.