Cumbria Medical Services

Cumbria Medical Services (CMS) was formed in July 2013 by Dr Martin White and Dr Fayyaz Chaudhri to provide a GP with Special Interest (GPWSI) community NHS dermatology and minor surgery service across Cumbria.

The service had been provided over the previous 5 years to the patients of West Cumbria by Dr White and Dr Chaudhri at their GP practice whilst at Maryport Health Services (MHS).

With the support and encouragement of the Cumbria PCT Medical Director at the time they resigned from their own GP practice and formed CMS.This allowed them to devote more time to developing and expanding the service so more patients could gain the benefit of being seen closer to home.

The aim of CMS is to improve and enhance health care in Cumbria by providing a range of high quality intermediate level services delivered in GP premises and community hospitals, thereby helping to bridge the divide between primary and hospital based care.

We deliver our services as close to home as possible, especially important for elderly or disabled patients, with patient experience paramount. We make good use of the excellent facilities available in our community hospitals, which in turn also help to secure their future. We believe that many services can be delivered safely and cost-effectively in the community with outcomes that match, and in many cases exceed those delivered within hospital based care.

London Road Community Clinic - Carlisle
Arnside House - Carlisle
Victoria Cottage Hospital - Maryport
Penrith Hospital - Penrith
Keswick Community Hospital - Keswick
Westcroft Surgery - Egremont
Cockermouth Community Hospital - Cockermouth
Orchard House Surgery - Workington
The Grange Health Centre - Grange Over Sands
Temple Sowerby Medical Practice - Temple Sowerby

Clinical Staff

Dr Fayyaz Chaudhri – Medical Director, Dermatology Lead, CQC Registered Manager, GPwER
Dr Martin White – Medical Director, Surgical Lead  
Dr Nicola Cawley – GPwSI
Dr Richard Sloan – GPwSI
Dr Maria Martin – GPwSI
Dr Jen Smith – GPwSI
Dr Paula Denham – GPwSI
Dr Raluca Rotar – GPwSI
Dr Bea Bakos – Consultant Dermatologist
Dr Christy Chou – Trust Plastic Surgeon
Graham Putnam – Maxillofacial Surgeon at local DGH
Dr Tega Ayara – GP Registrar
Jackie Shearer – Dermatology Nurse Specialist
Deborah Bradley – Operating Department Practitioner
HCAs - Amanda Boswell, Amanda Paton, Lisa Gilmour, Louise Siddle, Sharon Goodwin, Kerrie Dowling 

Manager and office Admin team – approx. 15 staff

• Dermatology outpatients – approximately 6000 new referrals (new : FU – 1:1) per annum
• Telephone consultations, some with pictures preloaded
• Video link appointments using AccuRx
• Advice to GPs by email and telephone
• Surgical services include: skin cancer – including flaps grafts repairs (non-2WW)
• Non skin cancer work – Hernia Repair, Carpal Tunnel, Vasectomy 
• Exclusions - UV therapy, PDT, patch testing, 2ww cancer appointments

• Patients can only be seen in the community dermatology service if they have been referred by a GP using the Choose and Book Service. Referrals are triaged by the admin team and passed back to the GP surgery if they don’t meet the requirements for NHS treatment

• CMS strives to maintain good links with secondary care and involve other professionals in the care of our patients where it is in the patient’s best interest, i.e. referrals for specialist care and advice

• CMS refers those patients who come under the 2ww to Cumberland Infirmary (CIC). More complex patients are also referred on to CIC Dermatology for treatment as well as for UV Therapy and patch testing. Patients where needed will be referred into other departments such as urology, ophthalmology, plastics, gastroenterology, respiratory, rheumatology, endocrinology, genetics and orthopaedics. The two medical directors participate in weekly skin cancer MDTs to discuss the best and most appropriate treatment for CMS patients

• As attached 

• CMS carries out regular clinical audits to ensure high standards of care. Recent audit examples include gauging accuracy of diagnosis for all Dermatology GPwSIs and a BCC audit over a three month period to monitor the appearance of second lesions at three month follow up reviews

• We aim to deliver all our services in less than 12 weeks from GP referral with the majority of our patients being seen and treated within 4 weeks. We undertake regular audits of these waiting times and these are posted onto the website

• We hold regular education/training sessions for Cumbria’s GPs and nurses to aid knowledge in treating dermatological conditions, thereby reducing unnecessary referrals. We also provide support to other GPs to upskill and deliver as part of GP services. This year Dr Chaudhri has run teaching sessions for GP trainees and medical students as well as providing one to one teaching through GPs sitting in clinics. A recent recruit to the Dermatology team is Dr Tega who is a GP trainee who will be sitting in and running clinics weekly under close supervision and mentoring by Dr Chaudhri

• We hold regular in house training sessions with our consultants who support and mentor our GPs with Special Interests, and hold meetings to discuss interesting and complex cases so we can ensure best practice at all times