Sheffield Dermatology Team Scoops National Award, UK

Main Category: Eczema / Psoriasis
Also Included In: Dermatology
Article Date: 19 Dec 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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A dermatology team at Sheffield Children's Hospital have been crowned Healthcare Professionals of the Year in the National Eczema Society's 2004 awards.

Headed by Dr Michael Cork and Paediatric Dermatology Nurse, Julie Carr, the team are to receive the award in recognition of their innovative approach to the management of childhood eczema.

Said Carr: "We provide a holistic, child friendly approach to eczema management with the aim of empowering both patient and parent and we are delighted that our work has been recognised by the National Eczema Society."

Techniques employed by the team to improve patient care and encourage compliance include role-play, where treatments are explained to the child by putting creams on a doll, sibling or parent first and the use of a series of cartoons devised by Mike Cork entitled 'Skin Wars'.

Inspired by his son, who has also suffered from the condition, and Patrick Elliott, the hospital artist, the Skin Wars cartoon series was developed as an educational tool for young children with eczema but has proved equally popular with parents as it explains their child's condition in language that they can easily understand.

Said Cork: "Eczema cannot be cured but it can be controlled and the most important thing we do here at the Specialist Atopic Eczema Unit is to teach parents and children how to manage their condition on a daily basis using the most appropriate treatments and techniques.

"For parents at their wits end, helplessly watching their child claw at their skin until it bleeds just to try and stop the itch, we also provide a listening ear and reassurance that they are not alone."

The team provides a specialist clinic for the management of difficult eczema at Sheffield Children's Hospital and is also set to launch the first health visitor led clinics in Sheffield in 2005 in order to reach even greater numbers of the city's eczema sufferers.

The team is also very active in research aimed at improving the use of existing treatments and designing new treatments. The laboratory research is managed by Dr Simon Ward.

Commenting on the award, Margaret Cox, Chief Executive of the National Eczema Society, said: "With one in five children in the UK suffering from the condition, the work of Mike and his team demonstrates the importance of devoting time to informing sufferers how to manage their condition and is a template."

Mike and Julie will be presented with their award along with the winners of the other five categories at an awards dinner in London on the 18 December.

For further information contact Claire Moulds at Approach PR
Tel: (UK) 01924 404 888
http://www.eczema.org/

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