All information is correct at time of printing and is subject to change without notice. The Devon Formulary and Referral Website is not in any way liable for the accuracy of any information printed and stored by users. For the most up-to-date information, please refer to the website.
This is a summary of the NHS Devon commissioning policy for assessment and removal of Benign Skin and Subcutaneous Lesions.
Assessment and Removal of Benign Skin and Subcutaneous Lesions Commissioning Policy
Removal of a benign skin or subcutaneous lesion for cosmetic purposes using surgery, cryotherapy or laser treatment is not routinely commissioned. Assessment or removal of a benign skin or subcutaneous lesion is routinely commissioned only in the following circumstances:
Where the original referral was for suspected malignancy, once it is established that a skin lesion is not malignant its removal will not normally be funded by the NHS though a clinician may request exceptional funding. Clinicians referring on this basis should make the patient explicitly aware that removal of the lesion may not occur.
Clinicians referring patients for assessment or removal of a benign skin or subcutaneous lesion should note that any digital images sent with referrals will not be reviewed by NHS Devon in the process of determining whether the referral meets the policy criteria.
To aid secondary care decisions, referring clinicians are still encouraged to attach images to their referrals. However, after legal advice for clarification of the position, DRSS clinical staff are no longer able to use digital images to aid referral triage decisions. DRSS clinical triage decisions will be made solely on the textual content of referrals.
Where the circumstances of treatment for an individual patient do not meet the criteria described above exceptional funding can be sought. Individual cases will be reviewed by the appropriate panel of NHS Devon upon receipt of a completed application from the patient's GP, consultant or clinician. Applications cannot be considered from patients personally.
Applications for consideration for funding approval should be sent to:
Email: d-icb.ifr-newsdt@nhs.net
Individual Funding Request (IFR)
Date of publication: 11 January 2016
This policy has been adopted from Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG
and South Devon and Torbay CCG by NHS Devon from 1 April 2019
Updated following consideration of NHS England Evidence-Based
Interventions Guidance for CCGs: 20 January 2020