Clinical Gems and Practical Tips

A practical, symptom-based guide to diagnosing and managing common skin conditions in primary care. Featuring clear differentials, rich clinical and dermoscopic images across all skin types, and structured “story, look, feel, check, treat” guidance, it supports confident, evidence-based dermatology decisions for frontline clinicians.

Skin problems make up around one-quarter of all new consultations in primary care, yet making a confident dermatology diagnosis can often be daunting. Dermatology Essentials for General Practice is a colourful, practical guide designed to help GPs and allied health professionals confidently diagnose and manage common and important skin conditions.

The book is organised by the patient’s main symptom, making it easy to start where your consultation usually begins. A simple differential diagnosis table helps narrow down options based on associated symptoms and a rich collection of clinical and dermoscopic images, including examples in skin of colour, supports identification.

For every condition you’ll find a consistent structured approach:

• Story – the background to each disorder including the importance of family history, symmetry and evolution
• Look – hundreds of photographs in all skin types, along with notes about distribution, morphology, colour, etc.
• Feel – smooth or scaly, raised or flat?
• Check – the signs and symptoms to look for, the investigations to order, and any red flags
• Treat – management options based on NICE and BAD guidelines, along with clinical gems based on years of experience highlighted.

Whether you’re a GP, nurse, pharmacist, paramedic, or other frontline clinician, this book offers a clear, concise path through the most frequent skin presentations seen in everyday practice.