Imagine being told your skin can’t be treated urgently and locally. That’s the reality in Macclesfield. Macclesfield District General Hospital (MDGH) currently lacks a dermatology department—leaving patients without access to emergency or specialist skin care. This gap is putting lives at risk.

I’ve contacted PALS, NHS England, the hospital’s Medical Director, my MP, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, to ensure this issue is addressed at the highest level. I’ve also submitted a Freedom of Information request to uncover how many patients are being denied urgent dermatological care. This isn’t just a bureaucratic oversight—it’s a serious failure in care. Lives are at risk, and urgent action is needed now.

We call on East Cheshire NHS Trust, NHS England, and Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to:

• Establish a dermatology department at MDGH

• Provide emergency dermatology access for patients in East Cheshire

• Ensure consultants at MDGH have a named dermatology contact for urgent referrals

Skin conditions like melanoma, severe infections, autoimmune diseases, psoriasis, and skin rashes cannot wait. Patients deserve timely, local care—not delays or distant referrals.

Why This Matters

Dermatology is not a luxury—it’s essential. Delayed treatment can lead to permanent skin damage, or death.

East Cheshire has a growing population with limited access to specialist care. MDGH consultants currently have no direct dermatology support, leaving them unable to escalate urgent cases.

This is a clear example of how inter-trust referral barriers are putting vulnerable patients at risk. General practitioners and emergency doctors are not trained to manage complex dermatological cases. This leads to misdiagnosis, unnecessary referrals, and longer patient suffering. Chronic skin conditions like undiagnosed rashes, psoriasis, eczema, and acne can severely affect mental health and patient well-being.

Without specialist care, patients may feel neglected, worsening anxiety and depression. Patients in East Cheshire must travel to other hospitals for dermatology care—if they can. Those without transport or mobility support are disproportionately affected. Inpatients at MDGH are left vulnerable, and staff unsupported, due to the absence of escalation pathways for urgent dermatology cases.

Dermatology wait times in Cheshire East reflect a system under strain. National NHS data shows that over 7.4 million patients were waiting to start treatment at the end of July 2025. Of these, nearly 39% had already waited more than 18 weeks—the legal maximum for non-urgent consultant-led care.

Urgent referrals, including suspected skin cancers, are meant to be seen within two weeks, but delays are increasingly common. In Cheshire East, patients report waiting months for routine dermatology appointments, and urgent referrals are often redirected to distant hospitals due to the lack of local provision.

This is not just a local failure—it reflects a national crisis in dermatology access. The Care Quality Commission’s State of Care report (2024) warns of “unwarranted variation” in access to NHS services across the country. NHS England has acknowledged that redesigning dermatology pathways risks widening health inequalities if equity isn’t prioritised. Parliament has also raised concerns, with an Early Day Motion (November 2023) highlighting long waits and inadequate capacity for patients with inflammatory skin conditions. Macclesfield’s situation is part of a wider pattern—and it demands urgent attention at both local and national levels.

Let’s change this—together. Sign the petition. Share it widely. Help bring dermatology back to Macclesfield and protect patients across East Cheshire—and beyond.